


Domovoi

by Kenyastarflight



Series: Domovoi [1]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Everyone lives, F/M, Family Fluff, Fan Sequel, Sentient Jaegers, Team Cherno Alpha Rocks, Uprising Doesn't Exist, Yes you read that tag right, fluff and violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 178,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23931679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kenyastarflight/pseuds/Kenyastarflight
Summary: When Sasha and Aleksis Kaidonovsky are found to have survived the Battle of Hong Kong, they prepare to reveal a shocking truth to the world and the PPDC -- that the Jaegers are alive.  And as the bond between Cherno Alpha and his Rangers is explored, the loyalty of the living Jaegers is put to the test against a fearsome threat.  Originally posted on FFN in 2013.
Relationships: Aleksis Kaidonovsky/Sasha Kaidonovsky, Gipsy Danger/Striker Eureka
Series: Domovoi [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725130
Comments: 20
Kudos: 38





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The minute I saw "Pacific Rim" I was already itching to write fanfic of it... and when the plot bunny bites, there's no escaping it. Written between 2013 and 2016, before "Pacific Rim: Uprising" was released. Apologies for any continuity errors, though I will continue to happily pretend that "Uprising" never happened, thank you very much...

The battle was over. They had won. And yet for many, victory had never felt so much like bitter defeat.

Helicopters swarmed the harbor, some hauling off the offline but still whole Striker Eureka while others cast searchlights over the ocean, looking for any sign of a body or an escape pod in the churning waters. Salvage boats plowed through the waves in an effort to get closer to the ruined remains of Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha – even destroyed, a Jaeger was still precious, a source of research materials and spare parts for its still-intact brethren. Patrol boats fanned out to set up a perimeter and keep nosy civilians away from the site, while a research vessel dropped anchor and set to work, testing the waters to ensure that Kaiju blood and nuclear material from Cherno's reactor wouldn't sully the harbor waters beyond recovery.

There was a somber air to everyone's actions, despite the celebratory announcements that came over the Shatterdome radio frequency at regular intervals. Otatchi and Leatherback had been defeated, but at a terrible price. Two of the PPDC's most valuable Jaegers had been destroyed in the battle… and five of their best Rangers had paid the ultimate price to protect the city. Even in the light of Gipsy Danger's victory, it felt like a grim day.

Edgar Stone, captain of the salvage vessel _Weak Anthropic Principle,_ peered through the driving rain at the mangled, twisted framework his boat's winches and cranes were dragging closer. The wreck was so badly charred and warped by some kind of explosion that it was hard to tell what it was at first glance. Whatever it was, it was way too big for the _WAP_ to haul aboard. They'd simply have to tow it back to dock and let the Shatterdome's crew handle it.

"Get it sternside and get a tow line on it!" he shouted over the pelting rain. "And let's move it! We don't want to be out here all day!"

The crew obeyed with surprising speed. No one wanted to be here any longer than necessary. It wasn't just the rain, either – there was a heavy feeling to the air, as if the deaths of the Wei Tang triplets and the Kaidanovskys had permanently tainted this place.

"Yow!" A crew member jerked his hand back from the metallic framework, waving it frantically. "Sonofabitch, it's still hot!"

"That's not heat, that's acid!" another shouted. "Get your glove off!"

The burned crew member ripped off what was left of his glove and hurled it over the side of the boat, then hunched over his hand with a pained cry. Thankfully he hadn't come in contact with more than a drop or two, but the acid was still powerful enough that it had eaten a deep hole in his palm.

"No one touches that thing except to put the tow line on!" Stone ordered. "And bail some water on it to get the acid off first! Not gonna lose anyone to stupidity this time. I don't wanna repeat of that incident in Taiwan."

"That was only the one time," someone muttered, then hurried away before Stone could identify them.

Several crew members went right to work, pitching buckets of water at the framework in an effort to rinse off some of the acid. Then one foolhardy crewman climbed up onto the railing and began to search the wreck for a place to attach a tow line.

"Looks like a cockpit, sir!" he shouted.

"I don't care if it looks like the friggin' _Titanic,_ just get the line on it!" Stone shouted back.

"I don't think we've got the engine power to haul something this big back!" the crewman retorted, and leaned forward to hook the tow line to a helpful knob of metal that jutted from the wreck. "We'll wreck the _WAP_ trying!"

"Just follow orders already! We don't have all day!"

The crewman made sure the tow line was secure, then glanced up, as if taking one last look at their haul before stepping back. Whatever he saw made him reel back, almost falling off the railing.

"There's bodies in there!"

Stone flinched. Bodies in a salvage find were never a good sign… and if he were just a little more superstitious he might have ordered them to unhook the tow line and let the wreck sink. But knowing that the PPDC needed everything they could salvage of these two Jaegers overcame any squeamishness.

With a reluctant sigh he made his way forward, moving quickly but carefully to avoid slipping on the rain-slicked deck. The crewmen parted to let him pass, and the man who'd hooked the tow line hopped down from the railing to make room for him. Grabbing the railing in both callused hands, he hauled himself up to take a look in.

He flinched again, feeling his gorge rise. Two bodies floated in the water that still filled the cockpit, both badly burned and utterly still. Some small part of his brain that still maintained a grip on logic realized that these must be the Kaidanovskys, Cherno Alpha's pilots, while the rest of him wanted to turn around and be sick. Only the threat of utter embarrassment if his crew saw him throw up kept him from doing just that.

"I'm goin' in!" he shouted. "Someone get up here so I can hand off the bodies to you!"

The crew looked disgusted at the thought of having to handle dead bodies, but several crewmen stepped forward anyhow. Satisfied, Stone pulled himself over the railing and into the cockpit, landing in chest-deep water. His feet bumped against objects that must have been part of the Jaeger's controls, some stationary and others moving freely as if knocked loose in the destruction. He did his best to ignore them, and waded forward to grab the first body.

His hand closed on a slim wrist – no doubt Sasha's. He pulled the body closer and, purely out of habit, pressed his fingers to her neck. He doubted he was going to find any sign of life, given how thoroughly Cherno had been wrecked by those monsters…

Something fluttered against his fingers. Had he imagined it? No, there it was again.

"She's got a pulse!" He didn't stop to think, only hauled the body to the gaping hole in the cockpit where two crewmen waited to collect it. "Get her on the deck and perform CPR! And someone get on the horn with the Shatterdome and tell 'em we've got a survivor!"

"Yessir!" The men pulled her out, leaving Stone to slosh back through the cockpit to grab Aleksis. Immediately he felt for the man's pulse, wild hope gripping him for the first time since they'd set out for the site of the battle. If Sasha had survived, perhaps Aleksis…

"Sweet mother of God, he's alive," he murmured, and pulled the towering pilot to the other crewman who stepped up to collect him. "Start rescue breathing on him! Tell Shatterdome the Cherno Alpha Team survived!"

Scattered applause rose from the deck of the _WAP_ at that announcement. Stone smiled grimly as he grabbed someone's hand and pulled himself out of the cockpit. At least that was one bright spot to this whole mess. The Kaidanovskys were alive, if in very bad shape. Today's battle had seemed a blow, proving that the Jaegers were not the invincible juggernauts many made them out to be… but having two Rangers survive despite the destruction of their mech served to soften that blow.

Back on the deck of his ship, Stone turned to regard the mangled cockpit of Cherno Alpha, and a sudden pit of apprehension opened in his stomach. If the Kaidanovskys recovered from this, then someone was going to have to explain to them what had happened to their Jaeger. And just like he knew it would kill him if anything happened to the _WAP,_ he had a feeling that learning Cherno had been destroyed by the Kaiju would cut its pilots to the core.


	2. Awakening

_It was like walking into a myth, stepping out of the physical world and into a living legend._

_A hush fell over the prospective pilots as they filed into the hangar, ready for their first sight of the ultimate prize. No one dared so much as whisper as they gaped at the titan before them, a towering juggernaut of titanium and steel that gleamed silver-green in the hangar lights. Over eighty meters tall, broadly built and thickly armored, it seemed to radiate an aura of sheer power that threatened to overwhelm all who looked at it. And more than one rookie swore they could feel the giant looking back at them, leveling its own iron gaze upon them and passing its own judgment on whether they were qualified to serve as its pilot._

_Aleksis Kaidonovsky couldn't suppress an excited grin. It was beautiful – far more beautiful than he had ever imagined. The photographs and film footage he had seen of its construction hadn't done it justice. This was more than a mere machine – it was a physical god, a slayer of the demons from the abyss._

" _Cherno Alpha," the commander of the Vladivostok Shatterdome announced, nodding forward at the enormous mecha. "The most advanced Jaeger constructed to date… and our last hope for defending our homeland."_

_An appreciative murmur passed through the gathered candidates._

" _Twenty of you have been selected for this program," he went on. "The best of the best chosen to participate in the coming trials to determine Cherno Alpha's pilots. Only two of you shall make the cut to be Rangers."_

" _He states the obvious," muttered someone directly behind Aleksis, and he turned to find a young blond woman raising a sardonic eyebrow at the commander._

" _Obvious or not, it's truth," Aleksis countered softly. "I just hope to be one of the two."_

_She smirked. "Simply hoping doesn't get you anywhere. You have to act, not just hope."_

" _Lieutenant Kaidonovsky, Lieutenant Pevtsov!" the commander barked. "Do either of you want a demerit for speaking out of turn?"_

_The woman stood stiffly at attention and raised her chin. "No, sir!"_

" _No sir!" Aleksis echoed._

" _Then remain silent during the briefing!" He kept his stern gaze on them a moment longer before looking away. "Report to the barracks. In the morning, the tests begin… and we shall separate the dross from the gold, and determine who is best suited to defend our coasts from this Kaiju menace." He nodded sharply. "Dismissed!"_

_Most of the candidates dispersed immediately, talking amongst themselves. A few remained behind to stare at Cherno Alpha a little longer, their eyes shining with awe and desire. Aleksis was among them, leaning on the railing and gazing upon the Jaeger with an eager smile. So close… he had come so far in so short a time, working feverishly to increase his standing in the army and trying to catch the attention of his commanding officer, in the hopes of being selected for this exclusive program. He was almost there, and he was secretly terrified that he would have his hopes snatched away at any moment, so close to securing his goal of being a Ranger._

_Movement to his left caught his eye, and he turned to see the blond woman joining him in his study of the titan, a covetous gleam in her eye. He noted with interest that she was surprisingly tall for a woman – still shorter than him, but then, he had always been the giant of his family…_

" _Beautiful, isn't she?" Aleksis noted._

_She chuckled. "He. He is beautiful. He looks rather masculine, don't you think?"_

_He frowned. "I always thought of them as being like boats – don't captains call their ships female?"_

" _A Jaeger is not a boat," she pointed out with a laugh. "Each has their own distinct look, and some are suited to be female… but not this one."_

_He shrugged. "If you say so. You seem to know a lot about the Jaegers."_

" _My uncle worked at the assembly yard where Brawler Yukon and Romeo Blue were constructed," she replied. "He was not directly involved in building the actual Jaeger, but he learned a lot from the builders." She folded her arms on the railing and rested her chin on them, eyes shining. "I'd love nothing better than to be a Ranger. The Jaegers have always fascinated me, and this is my chance to finally get close to them."_

" _Well… good luck to you." He extended his hand. "Lieutenant Aleksis Kaidonovsky."_

_She took his hand, her grip surprisingly firm. "Lieutenant Sasha Pevtsov. My pleasure. And good luck to you as well, Aleksis. May the best candidate win."_

* * *

Pain… searing, shattering pain that obliterated all thought, all memory… it was as if the entire world were composed only of the burning pain, throbbing and pulsing with every heartbeat…

_Are you there? Can you hear me?_

A voice… but not a physical one. The agony seemed to swamp all the senses – vision, hearing, even smell and taste. It beckoned and called, but it was so much effort to respond…

_Answer me! Please! Talk to me! Can you hear me?_

Blackness slid closer, smothering the pain, offering comfort in the form of the void. It was so tempting to give in, to let the darkness overwhelm all else… to finally be able to rest…

_Don't leave me! Don't go! Please, stay… I need you…_

That voice… it seemed so familiar… someone beloved, someone closer than life itself… someone who was worth more than freedom from the pain. Reaching out to it took so much effort, though… and the darkness beckoned more than ever, offering relief, offering peace…

_Don't go! Please don't go! I'm scared… I need you with me, I'm so scared…_

The fear and longing in that voice cut into the heart. No… it wasn't time to leave… not today. The blackness might offer relief, but it was a relief that meant death. If staying behind meant pain… then so be it.

It took every ounce of strength to fight the encroaching blackness, and it seemed reluctant to give up its prize… but at last it receded, ready to bide its time for another day. Pain returned with a vengeance… but with it a burst of relief and even joy…

Aleksis opened his eyes, wincing. The light was far too bright here – it felt as if someone had thrust knives into his eyes. He blinked furiously, squinting against the brightness, and tried to raise his hand to shield his vision. That movement sent every muscle and nerve in his arm screaming in pain, and he lowered the limb with a grimace.

He must have cried out, or perhaps someone had been watching him while he moved, because there was suddenly a presence at his side – a short, balding, white-coated doctor who rested a careful hand on his shoulder.

"He's awake!" the doctor barked, too loudly for Aleksis' tastes. "Hold still, sir… don't move too much if you can help it. You're still healing, and we don't want you to tear the skin grafts."

He blinked up at the man, baffled. Skin grafts… what was he blathering on about? "What…"

"Just relax, sir. You're in good hands." The doctor smiled, an expression that didn't do a whole lot to mask the tension in his face. "I won't lie, it was rather touch and go for you for awhile, but if you've made it this far, you're going to be okay."

A soft moan drifted from the bed on his right, and he turned his head to investigate. He paid for that movement with fire snaking up his neck and jaw, but what he saw made him forget the pain – Sasha lying in the bed a short distance away, scars marring her proud features, her blond hair shaved down to a light layer of fuzz. She was so utterly still that had it not been for her earlier sound of pain or the monitors hooked to her body, Aleksis might have mistaken her for dead. As it was, he felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach – his wife, badly hurt, possibly dying…

"She's waking up!" the doctor shouted again, the exclamation aimed at someone outside Aleksis' field of vision. "Let's get another physician in here, stat!"

"S-Sasha…" Aleksis groaned, trying to sit up. His nerves seemed to burst with pain, but he struggled for a good minute before finally lying back, exhausted. How did he get so weak so quickly? "My Sasha…"

"She'll be all right," the doctor assured him. "The two of you have been in medically induced comas for the past five weeks. You were very severely injured during the battle at Hong Kong."

The battle… the Double Event! Memory returned with such force he gasped for breath. Two Kaiju had threatened the city, and they had gone out with Crimson Typhoon to face them. Crimson had gone down, and the last thing he remembered was water flooding Cherno's cockpit, and a horrible face leering down at them, its reptilian eyes seeming to glow with triumph at having bested not one, but two Jaegers…

"You'll need to stay here awhile longer," the doctor went on. "We need to make sure infection doesn't set in, and you'll need physical therapy to regain your strength after so long under sedation. But if you've come this far, I don't see any reason why you can't be out of here in less than a month."

"Don't have a month," Aleksis insisted, trying to push himself upright again. He managed to raise his head from the pillow, and figured that would have to do for now. "We have a mission…"

The doctor stared at him, frowning in confusion. Belatedly Aleksis wondered if he'd said too much. News of the planned strike on the Breach wasn't supposed to leave the Shatterdome, and if this wasn't one of the Shatterdome's physicians…

"Sir… the Breach was closed five weeks ago," he replied slowly. "The Kaiju War is over. Over for good."

Over… it took a minute for that news to sink in. The strike on the Breach had already taken place, without his or Sasha's involvement. There would be no more Kaiju, no more PPDC, no more need for Jaegers or the Wall or anything else. They had staved off the apocalypse and saved the world.

He supposed he should feel either triumph that Pentecost's plan had been a success, or disappointment that he and Sasha had been unable to play a part in it. But to his surprise he felt… empty. As if the news meant nothing to him, was only a curious bit of trivia instead of the world-changing event it should have been. Perhaps it was because he had to receive the news secondhand instead of taking part in the final battle himself, or perhaps it was simply because, in light of his injuries, so little else mattered…

Or perhaps it was something else, a worry that gnawed at him and wouldn't let him think of anything else until he had put it to rest. This doctor might think it trivial compared to all else… but he had to know.

"Cherno," he murmured. "What about Cherno? Is he… is it badly damaged?"

The doctor bit his lip, seemingly debating whether it was worth telling his patient the truth or not. In the end, he opted for honesty.

"Your… superiors… left a message for you, sir, in the event that you woke up and we judged you in good enough condition to know." He looked down at his feet. "They said to inform you that they're sorry, but your Jaeger was damaged beyond repair."

* * *

Tendo Choi, Commander of the Hong Kong Shatterdome in the absence of Marshal Pentecost, had to resist the urge to rub his temples as he faced down the wall of screens depicting the various representatives of the United Nations. How Pentecost had been able to deal with these people on a regular basis without suffering an aneurysm was anyone's guess.

"I tell you, we need more funding," he said as calmly as he could manage. "Simply because the Breach is closed now doesn't mean it can't be opened again, or that the Precursors won't just open another somewhere else. We have to be prepared…"

"We are preparing," the UK delegate replied in a matter-of-fact tone, as if Tendo should know this by now. "And we feel the best way to defend humanity from another attack is to extend the Wall of Life project to cover all populated coastal areas, not just those bordering the Pacific."

"The Anti-Kaiju Wall is ineffective," Tendo protested. "Mutavore's attack on Syndey proved that. Our best hope for another attack is to bolster the Jaeger program."

"The Jaegers were falling right and left at the end of the war," the Chilean delegate retorted, scowling. "The public had lost faith that the Jaegers could protect them-"

"And they have any more faith in the Wall?" Tendo asked with an arched eyebrow. "Or has the UN forgotten about the Sydney attack and the ensuing riots already?"

"The Wall WILL work," the American delegate insisted. "It simply needs redesigned, with better reinforcement and perhaps anti-Kaiju missile-launchers placed at strategic locations."

"And if even that fails, what then?" Tendo countered. "What will you do if a Kaiju breaches your new and improved wall, somewhere too far away for us to fly our single Jaeger to in a timely manner?"

"We will deal with that as the time comes," the Canadian representative replied. "But the new and improved wall WILL work. We have faith in the Wall of Life program, and we suggest you put your trust in it, Mr. Choi."

Tendo stifled a groan, feeling the beginnings of a migraine brewing behind his eyes. Despite their victory over a month ago, the governments of the world were all too willing to dismiss the success of the Jaeger program, sweeping it under the rug in favor of focusing on rebuilding and maintaining their precious coastal wall. Never mind that the wall had proven to be a dismal failure, and that it would cost far more to complete such a structure than to continue funding the Jaeger program – they chose to focus on playing defense, on pouring all their funds into a virtual black hole.

Hercules had his own theory on why so much focus was being put on the Wall, and Tendo had to admit that it made sense – not that it made him feel any better. The PPDC and governments had been responsible for the development of the Jaegers in the first place, and had wanted some sort of recognition for the program that had ultimately saved the world. But the public chose instead to lavish attention on the Rangers, and in many cases on the Jaegers themselves despite them being mindless machines. If the government could undermine and discredit the Jaeger program, and promote the Wall as a more viable alternative, they could make themselves the heroes instead.

That left a sour taste in Tendo's mouth. This war should be about protecting humanity, not about who got the glory in the aftermath.

"Our decision is final, Mr. Choi," the UK delegate said in conclusion. "We will provide you with enough funding to build one new Jaeger, and to restore one of the retired Jaegers to full functionality. They will be kept on standby in case any new Kaiju attacks are reported, until the Wall is completed."

Tendo forced himself to maintain a bland expression and gave a stiff bow. He held his expression until the last screen had blanked out, then blew out a frustrated sigh.

"Damn fools," Herc muttered from his vantage point in the corner of the briefing room. "Gonna get us all killed just to make a point."

Tendo sighed again and turned away from the vacant screens. "There's very little we can do, though. Except take what aid they give us and secure whatever else we need through Pentecost's black-market channels. And hope that's enough."

Herc snorted. "Won't be enough. Damnit, good men and women died saving their hides and they spit on their memories like this…"

"Hansen," Tendo said softly, "there's nothing more we can do. They've made their decision, and we can either stand here complaining about it, or we can do the smart thing – mourn and honor our dead, pick up, and move on."

Herc scowled at that, but Tendo could read the sadness underlying his current anger. Despite their constant bickering and Chuck's hotheadedness, Hercules had been close to his son. Like many Jaeger pilots, they had shared a strong bond that went beyond mere teammates or even family. And though Chuck had died a hero, sacrificing himself and Striker Eureka to clear the way for Raleigh to close the Breach, Herc was still reeling from losing the last of his family to the Kaiju War.

Tendo closed his eyes and rubbed at the bridge of his nose, hoping the budding migraine would fade on its own. So much had been lost over the course of this war. So many Rangers had died against the Kaiju, and millions had perished in attacks around the world. There were few lives among the population of the Pacific Rim who hadn't somehow been affected by the war, whether by direct loss or simply the side effects of a prolonged war. Even Tendo hadn't escaped unscathed – he still clearly remembered Trespasser's attack, trying to evacuate as many as he could aboard a ferry, having to watch his grandfather slowly succumb to the effects of Kaiju Blue…

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Lingering on the past did no good. Thanks to the closing of the Breach, they had a future to focus on now.

"Any messages?" he asked.

Herc shrugged. "Ain't your secretary."

"'I don't know' works as an answer too, Hansen," Tendo noted dryly.

"There's somethin'," Herc amended. "Message from the hospital in Hong Kong. The Kaidonovskys are awake."

Tendo blinked, surprised but not altogether disappointed at the news. When Cherno Alpha had been obliterated by Otachi and Leatherback, everyone had given its pilots up for dead. It had come as a welcome relief when a salvage crew had reported back that Aleksis and Sasha had survived the battle, albeit half-drowned and severely injured. But when weeks had gone by without any word that the two had recovered from their injuries or even awakened from their comas, the crew of the Shatterdome had gradually given up hope.

Knowing that two of the best Rangers in the PPDC program had not only survived, but made progress in their recovery, was the best news he'd heard in a long time. Now he only hoped the Wei Tang triplets could make a similar recovery. The three had been recovered from Crimson Typhoon's cockpit shortly after the Kaidonovskys had been found, but two had suffered severe head trauma and remained in comas. Though an MRI had shown that the third brother's injuries were relatively minor, he, too, had yet to awaken. The doctors were baffled by this, though privately Tendo was convinced that the bond between the Weis was so strong that the condition of one brother could adversely affect the condition of the others.

"That's good news," was all he said aloud. "Anything else on their conditions?"

"Sasha's walkin' some, though the doctors want her usin' a wheelchair for the next little while. Aleksis' still bedridden – leg infection – but he's rarin' to get up and get his strength back." Herc's mouth quirked in a fraction of a smile. "Gotta admire that kinda spunk."

"Not a lot keeps those two down," Tendo admitted. "Anything on the Weis?"

"Nothin'. Same condition as always."

Well, they couldn't expect five miracle recoveries in one day, Tendo supposed. "Anything else?"

Herc shook his head. "Just a word from the Kaidonovskys. They're wantin' to come back and see what's left of Cherno one last time."

Tendo frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Herc eyed the man critically. "An' why not?"

"Cherno is… not like how they remember," Tendo replied diplomatically. "It was quite literally taken apart in the battle, and it might be rather shocking for them to see it in this state."

Herc just gave Tendo a long look of the sort he had once given Chuck when the younger pilot had done something particularly bone-headed. "You don't understand, Tendo."

"Try me," Tendo countered.

Herc looked skeptical, but nodded and continued. "A man gets in the cockpit of a Jaeger the first time, he thinks he's the boss of it, that it's just a weapon he uses to go kick Kaiju ass. But sooner or later, 'less he's an idiot, he learns you don't control a Jaeger – not the same way you control a jet or a tank. It's more like ridin' a horse – a partnership, if you will. You learn its habits, how it moves an' handles, what spooks it an' what it can do under pressure. It's a give an' take, an' just like a rider who don't learn that right away gets thrown, a pilot who don't learn that right away is liable to get his ass handed to him the first time he takes that thing into battle."

Tendo frowned. "Are you saying the Jaegers are alive?"

"Not in the same way you an' I are. Or like Max here." He nodded down at the bulldog, who was sprawled beneath a chair at the moment. "But it's the same basic thing. You're not just driftin' with your co-pilot, workin' with them – you're workin' with the machine, too. You come to see it as a member of your team, same as your co-pilot. An' maybe losin' your Jaeger isn't as traumatic as losin' your co-pilot… but it's mighty hard, hard as havin' to put down a good dog or horse. Maybe harder, since you've shed blood, sweat, and tears in your Jaeger, an' been through Hell with it.

"I dunno if that makes any sense to you, Tendo… but a Ranger, they understand. Ask Beckett sometime about Gipsy, an' Mori too." He reached up to scrub at his face with one hand. "An' as much as I miss my boy an' want him back… there's part of me that wishes I could see Striker too… just one last time."

Tendo mulled that over, then nodded slowly. What Herc said made total sense to him. He'd heard of Air Force pilots developing similar bonds with their planes, even taking to naming them and giving them their own distinct personalities. And while it was rare for a Ranger to survive the destruction of their Jaeger, it had happened… and said pilots were often left shell-shocked enough by the loss that they almost never got into the cockpit of another Jaeger after that. Pentecost was the only one in recent memory… but that had been extraordinary circumstances.

"We'll hold off on dismantling Cherno Alpha until the Kaidonovskys are well enough to travel," Tendo replied. "We can let them have one last look."

Herc seemed to relax a notch at that. "What's gonna be done with it?"

"There's a museum in Sydney that's going to be adding an extensive wing on the history of the Jaeger program, and they've expressed interest in displaying Cherno. They're offering a good price for it, too, which will help us with rebuilding Crimson Typhoon and finishing the Mustang Omega project."

Herc screwed up his face in disgust. "Aw, hell no!"

Tendo cocked his head. "Don't like the idea of a Jaeger on display? Or do you think we're restoring the wrong Jaeger? Crimson would be a lot easier to repair than Cherno…"

"Don't tell me we're going forward with that stupid Mark VI project!"

"Hansen, I know Striker Eureka was your Jaeger and you're rightly proud of it. But there's been promising new technology developed since then, and we'd be stupid not to incorporate it in the new Jaeger."

"It's not that I think it's gonna outshine Striker," Herc retorted. "It's that I think Mustang's gonna be a waste of good resources. Why not use the funds to restore Cherno or remake Gipsy or Eureka – or hell, even Coyote – instead of dumping them on something that's gonna be as much a bust as that buggin' Wall?"

"The decision's already been made, Hansen," Tendo told him. "If that's all, then let's get back to work. We've got a lot to do."

Herc grumbled under his breath as he walked out, whistling for Max to follow. Tendo gathered up his papers and tablet before heading out after him. Add cleaning up Cherno and making it presentable for company to their ever-growing list of things to do – it wouldn't make the Mark I look factory-fresh, but it would at least make it look less ghastly for its former pilots.


	3. First Drift and New Beginnings

_Despite countless sessions in the simulation room, Sasha never felt quite comfortable in the Drifting gear. The Pons headset felt like a cold hand clutching her scalp, and the armor seemed a size too tight despite being specifically designed for her body type. She shifted against the clamps holding her feet down and flexed her fingers, trying to grow accustomed to both armor and harness. Was one's first Drift always this nerve-wracking?_

_She glanced over at Aleksis, who was being strapped into the harness next to hers. His expression was purely businesslike as he lowered his head to accept the headset and helmet, but his hands were trembling slightly. Somehow that helped her relax a little. If even the normally stone-faced fellow Ranger was anxious about the upcoming Drift, then she wasn't alone._

_It had come as no surprise to either her or Aleksis that the rigorous testing had proven them to be a fit match for the Drift, despite the trainers and officers being rather shocked at how compatible they had proven to be. The American and Asian Jaeger programs mostly relied on pilots with some sort of close family relation, such as siblings or close cousins. The assumption in these cases was that, since close bonds already existed between them, they were more likely to synchronize within the Drift and less likely to chase the RABIT or fall out of synch during the neural handshake._

_The Russian program hadn't felt it necessary to abide strictly by those guidelines, but they had expected the pilots of Cherno Alpha to at least be a set of longtime friends. Aleksis and Sasha had met for the first time when they joined the program, so for them to show so many signs of excellent compatibility had been shocking for the trainers._

_Sasha straightened slightly as a technician fit the spinal clamp into her armor, a slight smile on her face as she thought back on the past few weeks. Despite having just met Aleksis upon beginning her training, somehow she felt comfortable around him, as if they had known each other since childhood. They had shared small talk at meals, talking about their lives before joining the military and their shared hopes of being accepted as Rangers, and had exchanged playful banter during sparring matches and while waiting for their turns in the simulation room. Meeting him hadn't been like being introduced to a stranger, but rather like being reunited with an old friend she hadn't seen in years._

_To be honest, she would have been more surprised if she_ hadn't _been compatible with him. Despite having sparred with dozens of other potential candidates, none of them had fallen into the same rhythm during a match, moved in synch with her. And yet when she and Aleksis had crossed sparring rods, it was as if they had each followed the same innate choreography, partners in a dance rather than opponents in a ring._

" _Ready?" the tech asked her, holding the gel-lined helmet up._

Ready as I'll ever be, _she thought, but only nodded to the tech and ducked to accept the helmet. The gel drained out of the visor as it snapped in place, leaving her with a clear view out of Cherno Alpha's cockpit. A line of technicians, scientists, and officers stared back from the catwalk that came chest-high to the towering Jaeger, each with the same baleful look on their face. Did they expect them to fail? Were they just waiting for one of the two to latch onto a wayward memory and lock the two of them into it, that they might expel the two from the program?_

_She allowed herself a smirk. Not today. If they were expecting a failure, they were in for a pleasant surprise._

" _All right, let's do this," Aleksis noted, and he lifted his chin and shut his eyes. Sasha mirrored his pose, tilting her face toward the cockpit ceiling and closing her eyes. Don't think, she told herself. Let it happen…_

" _INITIATING NEURAL HANDSHAKE," a computerized voice droned._

_Something prickled at the back of her brain and up and down her spine, like a thousand ants had suddenly crawled into her suit and helmet. She fought the urge to squirm and tried to keep her mind clear, to empty herself and be read for the synching. The prickle became a strange pressure, unpleasant but not painful, as if something were trying to worm its way into her skull… faint lights began to flash beneath her eyelids… sounds echoed in her ears, oddly faint and hollow as if they had to reach her through a tunnel…_

_Then the memories began. First a mere trickle, like the first sprinkling of rain – the sound of her mother's laughter, the smell of her grandmother's bread fresh from the oven, a flash of green from the coat she always wore as a child…_

_Then the memories became more substantial, not just flickers of sensation, but full-fledged scenes – running through the snow with her brothers, pinning the school bully down and giving him a sound thrashing, sitting at her great-uncle's knee and hearing him recite the old folk tales…_

_No… that last memory wasn't hers. She remembered no great-uncle. It took her a moment to recognize the memory as Aleksis'… yet it felt as close and familiar as if it were her own._

_The trickle of memory became a rush, as if someone had turned on a faucet. She relived scenes from Aleksis' life as if they were her own, intermixed with scenes from her own life – a flash of pain from breaking his leg as a child, the less physical but no less intense pain of her mother's death from a car accident, working alongside his father on his fishing boat through the pouring rain, watching her grandmother patch a hole in her favorite coat…_

_A horrific scream, and a sudden jolt rocked her as surely as if Cherno had been struck from without by a titanic fist. The flood of memory ground to a sudden halt, leaving her frozen within one scene in particular. It was like she was in two places at once – part of her retained enough sense to know she was still inside Cherno, still fastened into the neural interface gear; and yet she was also standing on the deck of a ship, struggling to keep her balance in the suddenly choppy seas, rain intermixed with snow pelting down all around._

_Beside her, Aleksis struggled with tying something down on the deck… but this was an Aleksis she'd never seen before. He was a few years younger, beardless, wearing a ragged raincoat and thick work gloves. Another young man, shorter and even younger-looking, worked alongside him, the two shouting orders at each other over the driving rain and roar of the sea. Instinctively she knew this had to be Aleksis' younger brother Dmitri, though how she knew this she couldn't say… he had spoken only rarely about him, and never shown her a picture…_

_There was a shout from elsewhere on the ship, and a massive wave swamped the deck, though it seemed to pass over her harmlessly as mist. The two men weren't so lucky – the wave buried them under icy water, muffling their cries of shock. A stab of emotion pierced her – terror, dread, the pain of cold salt water hitting her lungs…_

_When the wave receded, leaving the deck a slick mess, only one man was left – Aleksis, clinging to the railing for dear life. Of Dmitri there was no sign… and while she should have felt relief that Aleksis was alive, all she could feel was his horror._

_With a cry of despair Aleksis made to dive off the railing and into the violent waters, but hands grabbed his arms, holding him in place. He flailed, cursing and screaming, desperate to break free and save his brother… he had to save him, he couldn't just let him drown…_

_Sasha struggled to stem the flood of emotions coursing through her end of the Drift, and reached out to the struggling young man. She had to reach him, and fast. He was latched onto the memory of his brother's death, compromising the Drift. If she couldn't shake him out of it quickly, the neural interface would fail._

" _Aleksis!" she shouted. "It's only a memory!"_

_He didn't seem to hear her, still thrashing in his companions' grips. He cursed and howled, begging them to let him go after his brother, despite the fact that his body was no longer even visible amid the waves. It all felt so real… she could barely sense the cockpit around her anymore, and it seemed as if this horrible moment was the present and Cherno the faint memory…_

" _Aleksis, come back!" she urged him. "It's a memory, nothing more… it's the past. You can break free of it…"_

 _Aleksis continued to struggle, but his eyes locked onto hers. For a split second recognition flashed in his eyes, and a single thought seemed to pass between them –_ Help me.

" _I'm here," she vowed, and reached forward. "We're in this together. I promise."_

_Her hand touched his arm… and with a jolt they were thrown out of the memory and into a realm of cool blue light. For an instant that seemed an eternity nothing seemed to exist but the two of them, their thoughts and dreams, their pasts and fears. She was completely open to him, and he to her, their minds and hearts laid bare to one another._

_That should have been terrifying… and yet it wasn't._

_Aleksis knew her mind and heart in that moment, and she resisted the urge to pull away. But there was no disappointment or disgust from him – rather, a rush of his pride filled the Drift, pride that he had such a strong partner to fight alongside. She, too, saw everything he was and had ever been, and she found it to be perfect. They would fight together, the perfect team, and any Kaiju who had the misfortune to chance upon the Russian shores would tremble in fear._

_There was a brief touch of… something… just as they returned to the physical world, a sense of something sparking to life. But it was gone before either of them could make sense of it. Now they simply reeled in place as sight and sensation returned, landing both of them back in Cherno's cockpit. The monotone of the AI system rang through the room, completely oblivious to what had transpired between the two Rangers._

" _SYNCHRONIZATION SUCCESSFUL. NEURAL HANDSHAKE ACHIEVED."_

_Applause broke out from the catwalk, and several technicians seemed to slump in relief. Sasha realized she had her hand outstretched toward Aleksis, and likewise Cherno's left arm was extended, responding to its Ranger's movements already. She lowered the limb, and Cherno's arm sank to its side._

_Aleksis took a deep breath, then exhaled heavily. "That… was close…"_

" _You broke free of the RABIT, and that's what's important," Sasha assured him. "I… I'm sorry about your brother."_

_His face remained expressionless, but she caught the remembered pain and regret through the Drift. "It's something I must live with."_

" _WE will live with it," she vowed. "We're partners now." It was a daunting prospect, sharing so much with another person and helping to carry their burdens as well as her own. But somehow she felt it would be worth it._

_Aleksis abruptly grinned at her. "Marry me."_

_She blinked, startled, then chuckled. "So soon?"_

" _We've already shared more than most couples ever will in their lifetimes," he reminded her. "We belong together, in every sense of the word. And Cherno needs a united team to guide him, does he not? Parents, you might say."_

_Well, when he put it that way… "I didn't join the Defense Corps intending on starting a family… but it seems I found one anyhow."_

* * *

Sasha shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. She found herself spacing off more often now, her mind returning to the past. Had her Kaiju-inflicted injuries affected her memory? Or was she just tired?

She turned her head to gaze out the window of the cab, watching the garish lights of Hong Kong pass by. Despite the Double Event that had passed through this city less than two months ago, the citizens continued life as if nothing had changed. The only signs of Otachi and Leatherback's passing were a few gaping holes that remained in some of the buildings, and an oil tanker that remained lodged between two buildings like a bizarre archway. That street had been blocked off until city officials could decide how to safely remove the wayward ship, but that wasn't stopping tourists from sneaking through the blockades and posing beneath it for pictures.

It was still so hard to believe the war was over, though, that damages like this would soon be a thing of the past. She should have felt relief or joy at that, but instead she felt stunned and empty. She and Aleksis had expected to be there to see the end of the war themselves, to give Cherno Alpha's aid to the final strike against the Breach. To wake up and find the war had ended without them seemed a rather bitter blow.

And knowing their beloved Jaeger had been virtually destroyed seemed only to add insult to injury. Were Otachi and Leatherback not already dead, she would have hunted them down and attacked them with her own bare hands for that.

A hand rested on hers, and she turned to find Aleksis giving her a comforting smile. The towering Ranger seemed a shadow of his former self – he had lost a considerable amount of weight, and his face was gaunt and scarred, his beard shaved off so the surgeons could treat his facial burns better. But there was still that familiar glint to his eyes, one she recognized all too well. He was determined to keep the two of them going, despite anything the doctors or PPDC tried to tell them.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She sighed. "I'm not in pain, if that's what you're asking."

"Liar," he murmured, his tone affectionate rather than accusing. "You're hurting – maybe not physically, but mentally. You miss him already, don't you?"

She blinked, trying to keep the tears back. "I just… want to see him one last time. I wish there was some way we could keep him with us. Keep them from scrapping him or sending him to Oblivion Bay."

"Where would we put him?" Aleksis asked, a slight teasing note to his voice, but his eyes were as sad as hers. "He doesn't belong in a junkyard. He was the greatest of the Jaegers… and they're going to treat him as if he were garbage."

She rested her hand on his arm and squeezed gently. Of course they wouldn't understand – the technicians and officers in charge of the Jaeger program would never understand, not on the same level as the Rangers did. Only those who had fought inside the metallic titans knew how deep the bond was between pilot and Jaeger, how much they considered their mech to be an extension of themselves, a partner rather than a vehicle. Only a Ranger understood how it felt to see your Jaeger damaged in battle, or look on in worry as mechanics repaired or upgraded an important system.

And only a Ranger knew how it felt to have one's Jaeger torn away from them, whether by reassignment or destruction.

"At least we get a chance to see him again," she pointed out. "To say goodbye."

Aleksis frowned, as if this consolation wasn't enough for him.

"Aleksis… love… he'll always be with us. So long as we don't forget him, he's not wholly gone."

His frown faded, but he still seemed troubled. She scooted away from the cab's window and leaned against him, hoping to distract him some from his thoughts. He absently raised his arm to drape around her shoulders.

"Thank you," she said at last. "For saving me."

He frowned again. "I couldn't save you… I blacked out too quickly."

She shook her head. "I felt you calling for me in the Drift, back at the hospital. I was about to give up, to just stop living… but you pulled me back. I can never thank you enough for that."

Aleksis screwed up his brow in confusion. "That wasn't me."

"It had to have been you…"

"I felt _you_ calling for me," he countered. "You were the one reaching for me, pulling me back. You saved me." A smile finally broke through his features. "It seems a common theme, you drawing me out of death or a painful memory."

It was her turn to frown now. Someone had definitely been calling for her, reaching out through the Drift to draw her back from the edge of death. If it hadn't been Aleksis… then who?

* * *

Deep within the Shatterdome base, two members of the PPDC's civilian personnel were making their way down the hall toward the main Jaeger hangar, one limping and leaning on a cane, the other slowing his pace to keep up with his partner… and both snapping at each other.

"I don't care if you think that grotesque little parasite is cute, Newton, you have GOT to keep it under control!"

"You don't mean that, Hermann! Not to this little guy… he didn't mean that, sweetie, he's just jealous…"

"Why would I be jealous that you're carrying around a public menace?"

"Because I'm the only scientist who's been able to keep one of these little guys alive away from a Kaiju host, and you're jealous of me."

"Oh, I am _not!_ Why you think I'd be jealous that you're parading around the Shatterdome with a Kaiju skin mite…"

"He's got a name, Hermann."

"I am _not_ dignifying that… thing with a name! And so help me, if you don't housetrain it or keep it from chewing my computer cables-"

"I'm working on it, all right? We're just working on finding a good material for the litterbox that doesn't dissolve on contact. And he's got chew toys, I'm getting that part handled."

"Honestly, only you would think a disgusting Kaiju skin parasite is adorable enough to keep as a pet. That thing is disgusting and dangerous!"

Newton made a face at the engineer and cuddled the skin mite close. "Don't listen to the meanie-weenie, Spike! You're adorable and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Spike" gave a gurgling chirrup and waved its segmented legs wildly, as if trying to squirm out of his grip.

"If you have to keep that thing around, you could at least leave it in a cage," Hermann grumbled as they passed through the door leading to the main Jaeger hangar. "There is absolutely NO reason why you have to drag it to this very important meeting."

"How else am I gonna get him used to people?" Newt demanded. "He'll be fine."

Hermann rolled his eyes and made his way deeper into the hangar as fast as his bad leg would allow. The hangar was abuzz with activity, mechanics and technicians dashing back and forth on important errands, and two of the main bays positively swarmed with workers like overgrown beehives. In one hangar a crane was lowering Crimson Typhoon's freshly repaired cockpit onto its shoulders, a worker calling out directions to the crane operator and mechanics waiting for the massive "head" to be settled into place so they could go about reattaching it. In another, a skeletal framework stood supported by scaffolding, the heavy machinery being used to assemble it blocking much of it from view. The smell of oil and ozone and hot metal filled the hangar, and the rumble of engines and the crackle of welders overlaid the constant chatter of the workers.

Both scientists hurried past two other bays with their gazes fixed straight ahead, not daring to look inside. One bay was conspicuously empty, with only a wreath of flowers and a handmade sign reading "Thank You Gipsy Danger" marking the identity of its previous occupant. The other was occupied… but even those who thought of the Jaegers as just another machine couldn't look long at the ghastly sight of Cherno Alpha, slumped back against the wall of its bay like a drunken man, mangled and ruined and with one of its arms laying across its lap. The only worker attending the decommissioned Mark I was a grubby mechanic who hosed off one of its legs with a pressure washer, a token effort at making the Jaeger a little more presentable.

"Ugh, I wish they'd haul it out already," Newt said with a shudder. "It's creepy."

"The Sydney museum will come to collect it soon enough," Hermann reminded him. "And hopefully do a better job at making it suitable for public display. But we've got other priorities."

"I don't see why I'm needed for this," Newt pointed out, following Hermann to the hangar where the new Jaeger was being assembled. "What's a Kaiju biologist gonna do to help build a new Jaeger?"

"Oh, will you stop your moaning," Hermann grumbled as he moved to join the rest of the group. Raleigh Becket spotted the two scientists and moved a bit to the side to give them room, offering a friendly smile.

"Nice to see you two come out of hiding," he noted with a grin.

"Hello, Dr. Gottlieb," Mako Mori greeted, giving a polite bow and a smile.

Hermann nearly cracked a smile himself, and bowed slightly back. "Ms. Mori, Mr. Becket. And Mr. Hansen." He nodded at Herc, who grunted and shrugged. "Is this everyone?"

"Still waitin' on Choi," Herc replied. "An' keep that thing away from Max, Newt. If it bites 'im or gives 'im some kinda disease…"

"How come nobody trusts Spike?" Newt demanded. "He wouldn't hurt a fly!" He nuzzled the top of the skin mite's head, and it responded by twisting around and trying to snap at his chin.

"Because it's kind of hard to trust something that came off of a Kaiju," Raleigh reminded him. "Even if the Kaiju are gone, it's going to be a long time before anyone's okay with being reminded of what they did." He cast a meaningful glance at Mako.

"Oh… uh… sorry, Miss." Newt blushed and looked around, as if seeking a place to stow his pet.

"It's all right," she replied, and to everyone's surprise she reached over and stroked Spike's exoskeleton. "He is sort of cute… it's hard to believe he came from a Kaiju."

"See? Somebody here appreciates the little guy!" Newt beamed triumphantly at Hermann, who rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"For the love of…" groaned Herc.

"Show and tell's over, Dr. Geizler," Tendo cut in, walking up at that moment. "Thank you all for coming."

"Your memo sounded pretty terse," Raleigh told him. "Everything all right?"

Tendo looked about to answer that with a rant, but composed himself just in time and managed to look merely tired instead of supremely annoyed. "The short answer is not entirely. But the good news is that the UN is extending its funding to the Jaeger program."

Newt let go of Spike with one arm to pump his fist in the air and give a whoop of triumph.

"Not unlimited funding, mind you," Tendo told him. "Enough to rebuild one of our Jaegers and finish construction on the experimental Mark VI. Both these Jaegers will be kept on standby in the event of another Breach opening, and will protect the coastlines until the Wall of Life has been completed around every populated coastline."

"What?" Raleigh repeated. "That's a dead-end project! The Wall doesn't work and they know it! It's just a distraction from the bigger problem!"

"We all know that," Tendo replied. "But unfortunately, until the UN changes its mind, we have to be satisfied with what funding they give us." A faint smile crossed his lips. "That doesn't necessarily mean we can't secure funding from other sources, however."

"Please don't tell me Hannibal's a source," groaned Newt.

Tendo ignored him for now. "With any luck, we will have completed the Mark VI Jaeger, Mustang Omega, within the next six months. This will be a state-of-the-art machine with all the latest advancements in Jaeger technology, including digital systems with an analog backup, improved targeting systems and motor-response programs, and a specialized paint that's proven to be highly acid-resistant in tests."

Raleigh whistled. "You're not pulling out any stops on this. Just don't let the bells and whistles get in the way of what it's meant to do, all right?"

"We're taking that into full consideration," Tendo replied, walking up to a computer terminal and calling up a holo. "This is what Mustang Omega will look like when completed."

"Whoa," Raleigh breathed.

"Beautiful," Mako added, eyes shining.

Newt cocked his head first one way, then the other, as if trying to make sense of what he was seeing. "Uh… where's the head?"

"Cockpit, not head," Hermann corrected. "Use the correct terminology, will you?"

"Whatever it is, it's missing it," Newt pointed out. "Where're the pilots gonna work?"

The biologist did have a point. The holo of Mustang Omega glowed softly before the gathered pilots and scientists, jet-black with red trim and a sleek body that called to mind the compact but powerful frame of a runner or swimmer. Twin finlike crests sprouted from the tops of its shoulders and ran down it's spinal strut, ending at the small of its back, and thick panels were set in its chest, doubtless meant to slide aside to reveal internal weaponry. But just as Newt had noted, the head was missing – and there was no sign of a neck joint to indicate it ever had one.

"The bloody hell is this?" demanded Herc.

"One of the new advancements that's been integrated into the Mark VI program," Tendo replied. "Mustang Omega will be operated by an external piloting system, which will enable it to fight without placing pilots in unnecessary danger."

"Wait… so it's basically remote control?" asked Raleigh in disbelief. "You're not even going to use a Ranger for it?"

"Rangers will still operate it," Tendo corrected, "but will do so from the safety of a mobile piloting chamber, far away from the actual fighting. This way a Jaeger cannot be incapacitated by the destruction of a cockpit… and it won't risk the lives of the Rangers."

"But that defeats the entire purpose of the Jaeger program!" Raleigh protested. "If you can just control it remotely like a toy car or something, why didn't anyone do that before? This just seems like a weird gimmick if you ask me."

"This isn't just a gimmick," Hermann pointed out. "This could save lives! How many Rangers have we lost when their Jaegers have gone down? And the Kaiju learned that the fastest way to take a Jaeger out was to go for the cockpit – this will solve that."

"I am not against saving lives," Mako pointed out, "but I don't like this system. The Jaegers were effective because the pilots were just as much a part of them as any other system. We are the hearts and souls of the Jaegers… you take that out, and they are just another machine."

"My point exactly," Herc grumbled, looking halfway pleased that someone agreed with him. "The previous system worked, dammit. If it ain't broke, don't muck with it."

Tendo sighed. "I know you all liked the old way of doing things… but we have to be accepting of new developments as well. If an avenue exists that will allow us to defend our coastlines from Kaiju attacks without endangering lives, then we need to at least investigate it."

"Sounds like what the UN is saying about the wall," Herc muttered.

"That's enough, Hansen," Tendo informed him. "We're putting out a call for anyone who was enrolled in the Ranger program before it was disbanded to return to the training center. With any luck, we'll find suitable pilots for both Crimson and Mustang by the time they're online and ready. Now if anyone has any feedback regarding any of this – besides the external piloting system – feel free to share it."

The Rangers exchanged looks of varying degrees of uncertainty and irritation, but said nothing. Newt looked like he wanted to say something, but a glare from Hermann silenced him. The only sound was the faint chirring of the skin mite as it chewed holes in Newt's sleeve.

"Then you're all dismissed for now," Tendo said at last. "And fair warning – the Kaidanovskys will be by this evening. Don't bring this up to them – I'll brief them properly after they've seen Cherno."


	4. Ghost-Drift

" _Target sighted!"_

_The Kaidonovskys moved in perfect synch, raising their arms and bracing their legs in identical wrestler's stances. In response Cherno Alpha shifted beneath, above, and all around them, his immense frame thundering and humming as he adapted his pilots' pose. Rain intermixed with snow pelted his cockpit, and had it functioned like the windshield of an ordinary automobile it would have effectively rendered both pilots blind. But where the cockpit failed, the interior readouts and sensors more than compensated, providing them with a full visual scan of the raging ocean before them… and the enormous predator emerging from the whirling storm._

" _Cherno Alpha, you are to hold the miracle mile at all costs," the order came, crackling over a radio feed slightly blurred by the surrounding storm. "Category-3 Kaiju, codenamed Baba Yaga. Largest Kaiju yet."_

" _Good," Aleksis replied, smirking. "We've been wanting a challenge. Bannick was a pushover."_

" _Don't get cocky," the Shatterdome commander retorted. "Just hold the miracle mile until Eden Assassin gets there. Don't do anything foolish. Do you copy?"_

" _Isn't entering a Jaeger cockpit always something foolish?" Sasha quipped, but she followed that up anyway with a quick "Copy, Commander."_

_A deep thrum issued from Cherno's engines, and the two Rangers shared a look. The first few times their Jaeger had made unexpected noises during a battle, they had assumed he was malfunctioning somehow, even though maintenance scans hadn't shown any abnormalities. Now, though, they simply shared a smug grin._

" _He's eager to go, is he?" Aleksis asked._

" _You heard him," Sasha replied. "He doesn't want Eden to have all the fun." She turned to face the readouts and nodded. "Come, Cherno. Let's finish this. Eden can play cleanup if he wants."_

_Another thrum, and Cherno waded forward, moving to intercept Baba Yaga on its way to the coast. The mech's chassis fairly hummed around them, seeming to give off his own aura of anticipation, even excitement. He was still entirely responsive to their commands, yet they could almost feel him pulling at their control like a spirited horse straining at the reins, yearning to run even as its rider commanded it to trot._

_Neither Aleksis nor Sasha could identify the moment when they had begun seeing Cherno Alpha not as a mere object, but as a member of their team. Certainly they hadn't begun their partnership that way – in the beginning Cherno had merely been their weapon, their engine of destruction that they wielded in combat. Sure, the Jaeger had its quirks, but any piece of machinery did, and both had simply assumed that said quirks could be fixed by maintenance crews or worked around by trial and error._

_Somewhere along the line, though, they had come to learn otherwise. Gradually, they had come to know Cherno, his strengths and weaknesses, where his limits were and how far they could be pushed. And over time they had felt something far more than a personal connection whenever they were bound in the neural handshake – it was as if they were linked not only with each other, but with Cherno himself, a third entity in their bond. He was far more than a weapon or vehicle; he was their partner in battle, their ally and friend… and perhaps something even more…_

_A splitting roar made the air tremble all around the Jaeger, and both pilots drew Cherno to a halt. He stilled, every joint and cable and piston in his titanic body tensing in reaction as their foe closed in, rising from the churning waters like a demon from the depths of Hell itself. It delivered another earth-shattering roar, head flung skyward, blue light shining from its jaws. Then it lowered its head and glared hatefully at Cherno._

_It was hideous even by Kaiju standards, a mishmash of jumbled animal parts pieced together by a deranged god. Double sets of tiny, piggish eyes peered from the long sideswept head of a hammerhead shark, complete with a glowing crescent-shaped mouth lined with jagged teeth. Powerful arms flexed beneath its barrel-chested torso, each ending in three-fingered hands tipped with saber-like claws. Thickly muscled digitigrade legs, like those of a dinosaur, churned the seawaters with every step, and a thick mass of seething tentacles trailed after it in lieu of a tail. Hundreds of viciously barbed spikes sprouted from its back, giving it a strange hedgehog appearance, and glowing blue lines marked its sides like cryptic runes in an alien language._

" _Baba Yaga indeed," Aleksis snorted. "The witch. Fitting name."_

" _Shall we chase her back to her chicken-legged hut, then?" Sasha laughed._

" _Chase, hell." Aleksis cracked the knuckles of his left hand. "Let's ensure she never goes back to whatever hut she calls home."_

_Cherno raised both fists, slamming them together in a taunting gesture. Baba Yaga bellowed her rage and charged, head lowered like a bull, the blue-tipped spikes on her back raising like the hackles of a wolf. The Kaidonovskys braced themselves, and Cherno braced with them, watching the kaiju charge, silently calculating…_

_At the last possible second Cherno sprang out of the way, moving with stunning grace for his size. As Baba Yaga barreled by he brought both fists down on her head with a resounding CRACK, sending her sprawling into the ocean. She shrieked in rage, thrashing to get to her feet, tentacles flailing and swatting at Cherno's legs ineffectually._

_Aleksis cackled in delight. "Good lad! You got her good!"_

" _Don't get cocky," Sasha advised. "We don't celebrate until she's good and dead."_

" _Of course," Aleksis replied, but he grinned broadly all the same. "Come, Cherno, let's finish this hag!"_

_Cherno thrummed as if in response, and as Baba Yaga staggered to her feet, shaking her head dazedly, he raised a foot and delivered a kick to her side. The pilots could feel the impact of his steel boot against a fleshy side the size of a mountain, feel the crack of ribs snapping under the blow… and feel razor-sharp teeth clamp into Cherno's ankle as Baba Yaga retaliated, grabbing his foot and yanking hard. The Jaeger flailed as the Kaidonovskys tried to regain his balance, but he toppled anyhow, the ocean closing in over his cockpit and reactor tower._

_The Rangers cried out at the shared pain in Cherno's leg and at the sudden shock of the ice-cold sea hitting sensors and wiring. Baba Yaga snarled and shook Cherno's leg like a dog, thwarting their efforts to right the Jaeger. Sudden terror coursed through the Drift, threatening to overwhelm the pilots…_

" _No," Aleksis snarled, and he raised his foot. Sasha mirrored the move, face contorted in a determined grimace. Together they kicked, moving in perfect synch, and in response Cherno braced the leg Baba Yaga currently gripped and thrust it forward with all his strength. The move rammed his foot further down the Kaiju's throat, and she gagged and released her grip, gurgling sickeningly, spitting out copious amounts of blue-tinged saliva and a mouthful of teeth._

" _Good lad," Sasha murmured. "Come on, Cherno, get up… you can do this…"_

_The fear in the Drift ebbed, and with the combined efforts of the Rangers Cherno pushed himself to his feet. Warning readouts indicated his left ankle had taken considerable damage, so they shifted as much weight as possible to the right side to minimize any further damage._

" _She hurt Cherno," Sasha growled. "Let's make her pay for this."_

_Aleksis nodded. "Shock and awe?"_

" _You read my mind," she replied, grinning fiercely, and she reached out to touch a control. Instantly both pilots felt their fists tingle as energy coursed through Cherno's hands._

" _TESLA FISTS ACTIVATED," a computerized voice announced._

_Again Cherno smashed his fists together, and this time sparks burst from his knuckles at the movement, filling the air with the stench of ozone. Baba Yaga hissed, unfazed, and arched her back, the multitude of spines flaring out and seeming to make her swell in size. She lowered her head to tuck it beneath her body, almost as if trying to roll herself into a ball…_

" _Oh no you don't," Aleksis snarled, realizing what the Kaiju was up to. "Sasha, Cherno, NOW!"_

_Before she could curl herself up fully, Cherno's fist landed on the back of her head. The Kaiju gave a shattering scream and shuddered at the blow, sparks flying as electricity jolted through her body, and she uncurled and swatted at the Jaeger in her blind agony. Her claws raked across Cherno's torso, leaving scratches in the metal but not piercing the thick armor, and the Jaeger retaliated with a right hook to Baba Yaga's throat. The scream of pain came out a sickly rasp, and she gaped her jaws open in a frantic effort to suck in air._

" _Let's finish this," Aleksis growled._

_Sasha nodded, and together they worked their fists, their movements in total harmony with each other. Cherno responded immediately, landing blow after electricity-laced blow on Baba Yaga, aiming for the throat and belly and any other softer bits that presented themselves. The Kaiju clawed and snapped a few times in a token effort to fight back, but soon gave up trying to take her foe down and backpedaled in an effort to get away. Her piggy eyes glowed not with rage now, but with mortal fear._

_Sasha cocked her fist back one more time. "_ Do svidaniya, _bastard."_

_The final blow landed in Baba Yaga's eye socket, shattering the skull and driving jagged pieces of bone into her brain. The beast thrashed wildly, bright blue ichor pouring in sheets down her neck and chest, then collapsed, her body rapidly vanishing beneath the waves. Cherno hung back, fists raised, waiting for the Kaiju to rise up and keep fighting. They had all learned the hard way that these monsters didn't always stay down when knocked down, and were notoriously difficult to kill._

" _No movement detected," came the call over the radio. "Cherno Alpha, stand down. Kill confirmed." Their commander's tone carried equal parts relief and irritation. "Recalling Eden Assassin. Its pilots aren't going to be happy that we called them up for nothing."_

" _Let them live with a little disappointment," Sasha replied with a smirk. "Cherno's injured – bite damage to the left ankle and foot. He's going to need a lift back to the Shatterdome."_

_The commander sighed. "It, not he. I'll never understand why the two of you insist on calling that Jaeger by the wrong pronouns."_

_Aleksis just shared a knowing smile with Sasha at that. The crew of the Shatterdome would never fully understand, no matter how many times they tried to explain it. Cherno was far more than just their Jaeger, even more than their partner. He was family._

* * *

Tendo Choi waited at the entrance to the Shatterdome as the Kaidonovskys climbed out of the taxi, a helpful technician hanging close by with an umbrella to shield them from the elements. They had arrived here quicker than he'd expected, and privately he hoped the crews had gotten Cherno cleaned up enough to be presentable for them. There was nothing that could be done about the mangled cockpit and reactor tower – at least, nothing that could be done given their current budget and equipment – but at the very least they could wash off the surface gunk and make it look a little less ghastly.

Despite receiving periodic updates on their condition, Tendo couldn't help feeling a little shocked at their appearance. He winced slightly when he saw the scars tracing down Sasha's scalp and left cheek, and the almost bruise-like markings around her eyes. She walked with a limp, and her right arm still hung in a sling. But there was still a determined glint in her eyes, and she waved away the young crewman who had stepped forward to help her out of the car.

Aleksis emerged a moment later, and unlike Sasha he accepted the aid of the crewman in getting out of the vehicle. The reason for that became quickly apparent as he turned to pull a walker out of the cab, and took a few minutes to get the device set up before making his way forward. Aleksis had lost a great deal of weight, and for the first time Tendo could remember he was clean-shaven, making the bright red scars on his jaw stand out all the more. Like Sasha, though, he still wore the same expression of stern calm that he had always worn in the Shatterdome. He almost looked as if he expected to be let back into the cockpit of a Jaeger right away, injured or not.

Tendo shifted his grip on the handle of his umbrella and walked forward to intercept the pair. Best to let them know right away what kind of shape their Jaeger was in. Herc had already explained to him the bond between a Ranger and their mech, and had told him the rumors that the bond between the Kaidonovskys and Cherno Alpha had been infamously stronger than most. He wanted to prepare them for what they were about to see, so they weren't overly shocked at the Jaeger's condition.

"Welcome back, Aleksis, Sasha," he greeted.

Sasha nodded once in acknowledgement. Aleksis took a few careful steps forward before replying: "Choi. Glad to be back."

"I can't begin to tell you how relieved we were to hear you survived," Tendo went on, motioning for the two to follow him to the lift. "When Cherno Alpha went down, we all assumed the worst."

At that, Sasha smirked and finally spoke up. "We do not go down so easily."

"As you've just proven," Tendo noted with a smile as he stepped into the lift. "Before we take you to see Cherno, there're a few things you should know."

The Kaidonovskys exchanged a look, and though it was mostly inscrutable to Tendo's eyes, he swore they looked briefly unsettled at his statement. But it was gone so quickly he decided he must have imagined it. They made their way into the lift, and Tendo waved away the mechanic who tried to join them and shut the doors.

"Cherno Alpha is being flown out of the Shatterdome tomorrow evening," Tendo explained. "You'll have tonight and most of tomorrow to see it, and to… say your goodbyes." He wasn't sure if that was the proper term for a Ranger who had lost their Jaeger, but it was the best he could do. "We're also granting you permission to accompany it during the flight, if you'd like."

"Flight," repeated Aleksis, scowling. "To Oblivion Bay? The Jaeger junkyard? Cherno Alpha is not to be dismantled for scrap."

"I never said he was," Tendo replied calmly. He could have argued that technically Cherno wasn't even their property, and they had no say in what happened now that the Jaeger had officially been retired from duty, but he judged it best not to go that route. "He's going to a museum in Sydney, where he'll be honorably displayed for the public to educate them about the Kaiju War and those who fought in it."

Sasha seemed to ponder that for a moment, as if trying to decide if that was the best place for Cherno. Then she nodded. "That is… better than we had thought. At least he will be safe."

Tendo frowned at the use of "he." Was it common for Rangers to use male and female pronouns for their mechs? He knew Raleigh and Mako had often referred to Gipsy as a "she," but assumed it was mostly as a joke. For all his involvement in the Jaeger program, there were still elements of Ranger culture he had yet to learn, it seemed.

"I'll warn you now… Cherno's in bad shape. Otachi and Leatherback dealt heavy damage to it, and it's pretty ugly at the moment. And it might bring back unpleasant memories."

Aleksis snorted. "We do not care. We want to see him. Ugly or not, he is Cherno."

Tendo nodded. "Of course. I just wanted you to be prepared."

The lift ground to a halt, and the doors opened to reveal the main Jaeger bay. Usually the place was bustling with activity, techs and mechanics and maintenance crews dashing about like mad to complete a multitude of tasks. But today absolutely no work was being done, and it seemed that every soul in the Shatterdome was gathered before the lift doors, expectant looks on every face. And the moment they saw the Kaidonovskys they broke into cheers.

"What is this?" Tendo asked, stunned.

"What, we're not allowed to say 'welcome home' to a couple of our veterans?" asked Raleigh, stepping forward with a grin. "Aleksis, Sasha… I can't begin to say how great it is to see you two again! And still in one piece, even."

Aleksis smirked. "Surprised to see you in one piece, Beckett. We were shocked to hear it was you and Mako who finally sealed the Breach."

"Yeah, who'd have thought?" Raleigh laughed.

Mako stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Welcome back, Aleksis and Sasha. You were greatly missed."

"It's friggin' awesome to see you again!" Newt exclaimed. "This proves it, Russians are freakin' invincible!"

Hermann rolled his eyes. "My apologies, Mr. and Mrs. Kaidonovsky. He's gotten insufferable lately."

Sasha shook her head. "He is fine, Dr. Gottlieb. He would not be Newton if he wasn't somewhat… over the top." She extended a hand to Newt, but drew it back sharply when she realized his arms were full. "What in the…"

"Oh, this little guy?" Newt held up his newly acquired pet with a huge grin. "Just a skin mite from Otachi. They tame pretty nicely once they're off the Kaiju, it turns out. Just gotta keep 'em dosed in ammonia every so often…"

"This is NOT the time and place for it, Newton!" Hermann snapped.

Hercules stepped forward as the two scientists fell back, still bickering between themselves. His seemingly permanent scowl softened as he shared a long look with the two Rangers, a look that somehow spoke volumes between the three of them. Then he gave a sharp nod.

"Nice to see you two," he grunted.

"Likewise," Aleksis replied, nodding back. "We heard about Gipsy and Striker… and your son. And we are sorry."

Herc snorted. "Chuck went down fightin', like he always said he would. An' Striker's sacrifice wasn't for nothin'." His jaw clenched as he fought to keep his emotions contained. "Sorry about Cherno."

"Where is he?" Sasha asked. "We are here to see him."

Raleigh bit his lip nervously. "He's kinda a wreck… but he's back in his hangar. Want us to take you to him?"

"We know the way," Aleksis assured him. "But company would not be unwelcome."

The crowd parted as the Kaidonovskys made their way for Cherno's hangar, accompanied by Herc, Raleigh, and Mako. Tendo followed a few steps behind, feeling oddly superfluous in this whole affair. He was an outsider to the Ranger way of life, and he knew it… but he hoped to understand a bit more, and figured the best way to learn was by watching.

The group passed by Crimson Typhoon's hangar without pause, though Aleksis did crane his neck up to get a better look at the red Jaeger, its repairs nearly complete by this point. At Gipsy's hangar they did stop a moment, as if the spot where the Mark III had once stood was sacred and they were pilgrims paying silent homage to it. It took a quiet nudge from Sasha to get them moving again.

Cherno Alpha's hangar was situated directly between Gipsy Danger's empty hangar and Striker Eureka's former hangar, now belonging to the half-complete Mustang Omega. The massive Mark I remained slumped in the back of its bay, surrounded by puddles of water from its hasty cleanup. While the crews had managed to hose off most of the surface gunk, it was still a gut-wrenching sight. Even Tendo felt himself recoiling slightly, his stomach clenching. A wrecked Jaeger was never a pretty sight, and with its half-melted reactor tower, mangled cockpit, and severed arm, Cherno looked worse than most.

There was a soft intake of breath from Sasha, and she stepped forward, moving to rest a hand on Cherno's enormous foot. She stared up at the Jaeger for a long moment, quiet and still, an air of tension around her so thick that no one dared break the silence. Even Spike was quiet, seeming to sense that now wasn't the time to start making noise or trying to squirm free of his owner's grip.

Sasha's fist clenched, and she leaned forward to rest her forehead against Cherno's foot, tears glistening on her cheeks. Aleksis shuffled forward, leaning heavily on his walker, until he was by her side, and he rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. She shook slightly at the touch, but didn't shake him off, and Aleksis drew her into his arms, letting her bury her face against his chest.

"Aleksis, if there's anything we can do…" began Tendo.

"Leave us," Aleksis replied, his voice rough and threatening to crack. "We… want to be alone with Cherno."

"Of course," Mako replied softly. "Take whatever time you need." She took Raleigh by the arm and steered him out of the hangar. Her fellow Ranger didn't resist, though he did turn to give the two of them a sympathetic look as he left.

"You guys gonna be okay?" asked Newt.

"Oh, bug off and let 'em be," Herc ordered. "Go on, shoo."

"I just asked," Newt muttered, but walked off, Hermann limping close behind.

Tendo waited until the others were gone before speaking up again. "If you two need anything, you know how to reach me. I… I don't understand fully what you're going through… but I am sorry."

Neither Ranger responded, and he took that as his cue to leave. He headed for the hangar next door, intending to check on Mustang's progress. The Mark VI was progressing nicely, and if all continued to go well they might even be done with its construction ahead of schedule. Somehow the news failed to please him as much as he thought it would.

Funny… before the Kaidonovskys had come to the Shatterdome, he had seriously considered asking them to serve as Mustang's pilots. They had been among the best Rangers in the program, and even injured they were a cut above every other candidate out there. But now he didn't dare even suggest that to them. He had a gut feeling that offering them a new Jaeger would be insulting, suggesting that Mustang could replace Cherno in their minds. And if their bond between Jaegers and pilots was indeed this strong, then he seriously doubted they would accept the offer, or even set foot inside another cockpit ever again.

He sighed and took the tablet a tech handed him, ready to go over the day's diagnostics. Even with the war over, their understanding of the monsters they had built to fight monsters had only just begun.

* * *

It had been worse than Aleksis had imagined. He had known Cherno had been badly mangled in the fight with Otachi and Leatherback – hell, he'd felt the Jaeger's pain when his arm had been brutally ripped off, and felt the fire of acid splashing across his armor, eating away at his metallic hide. But nothing, not even Tendo's warnings, could have prepared him for seeing… this.

Even as he held Sasha in his arms, trying to comfort her, he couldn't take his gaze off Cherno. Little attempt had been made to repair the Jaeger beyond sticking his cockpit back into place. Wires and cables dangled from the shoulder socket and severed arm, ends ragged and frayed, and deep punctures marked where claws and teeth had found their marks. Both the cockpit and the reactor tower looked as if someone had taken bites out of them, and what remained of them was warped and twisted by Leatherback's acidic venom. "Beyond repair" had been polite, he realized – Cherno had been half-obliterated.

He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself not to weep, to be strong for Sasha as she had so often been strong for him. This wasn't right; wasn't fair. It was wrong that Cherno had survived countless Kaiju fights, only to be destroyed during what should have been a simple battle. And it wasn't fair that Crimson could have made it through the battle relatively unscathed save losing his cockpit, only for Cherno to be so mercilessly mangled.

Sasha inhaled deeply, then released him and tugged on his arm. He took the unspoken hint and let her lead him to a nearby stack of crates, sitting down with a wince. His legs ached still, unused to bearing his weight for this long, and he hated himself for that weakness. But at least his legs would heal… unlike some other wounds.

"He deserved better," Sasha murmured. "Better than this. He should have been retired with honor, not torn apart by those… beasts."

Aleksis nodded. He could have brought up that they'd had the option to retire Cherno Alpha to a museum in St. Petersburg instead of following Pentecost to the Hong Kong Shatterdome. But neither of them had even entertained that option for a moment. They were warriors, the three of them, and they had vowed to see this war to its conclusion. They hadn't expected to be taken out of commission before the war's end – or to survive the destruction of their Jaeger. But in the end, he supposed they couldn't fully regret their decision.

"You were the greatest of them all, Cherno," Aleksis said quietly, taking Sasha's hand in his. "Others might have been faster, or had more firepower… but none could match your strength."

Sasha squeezed his hand and addressed the Jaeger as well. "You fought well… you did all we commanded you to do and more. You gave your heart to every fight, and it never failed you until the very end. You were our pride and joy… our…" She shook her head, as if unable to continue

Aleksis leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Say it, Sasha. Say it aloud. There's no shame in it. Cherno was our son."

She nodded. "You were… our son. Our family."

There. It was out in the open, and there could be no denying it. Most Rangers, and almost all of the very best ones, had regarded their Jaegers as teammates and partners rather than just massive machines, but the Kaidonovskys' bond with Cherno had gone far deeper. They saw Cherno not just as a comrade, but as their family. Whenever a Kaiju went down under their Jaeger's fists, they had cheered him on like proud parents applauding a child's field goal in a soccer game. Whenever he had taken damage at the hands of an opponent, they had insisted on watching the repairs, as fretful and worried as if they were watching their child get stitches or a broken leg set. And though he had never been able to directly return their affection, they liked to think that Cherno responded to them far better than any other pilot, that he recognized them as his parents and would obey no others.

Now Cherno was as good as dead, and the loss cut them deeply. There could be no replacing him in their hearts, no more than a couple could simply replace a dead son or daughter by having another child in their place.

For a long time they simply sat together, holding one another, looking on at the remains of their beloved Cherno. Neither spoke, but somehow the silence said all that needed to be said. And despite the clamor of the work crews and machinery all around them, eventually physical and emotional exhaustion took its toll, and they drifted off to sleep in one another's arms.

* * *

"What do you think, Dr. Gottlieb?"

Hermann frowned in concentration as he squinted at the tablet Bailey showed him. "You mean to tell me we're three-quarters of the way through construction and no one's thought to check for bugs in the programming?"

Bailey Rossi, a petite twenty-ish woman with short-cropped chestnut hair and thick-rimmed glasses who served as Mustang Omega's lead programmer, winced slightly at Hermann's tone. "We've been scanning for bugs on a regular basis," she insisted. "This one's just managed to slip through the cracks every time for some reason."

"Hmph." Hermann took the tablet and scanned through the lines of the program. "And somehow everyone's just happened to miss that an entire subroutine is failing. Just who are we hiring these days?"

"Well, with the PPDC cutting our funding…" she began.

"Low funds do not excuse shoddy work," Hermann retorted, tapping at the tablet to make edits to the code. "We built the very first Jaegers from scraps, with techs working around the clock to write the programs, and they operated just fine." He handed the tablet back. "There. Give that a go."

"Thanks," she sighed. "You're a lifesaver, Dr. Gottlieb. I don't know where this project would be without your help."

He snorted lightly and turned to leave the hangar, Bailey walking alongside him. "I won't be around forever, you know. The Shatterdome has to learn to get along without me when I go back home."

"Until then, though, you're an asset to us," she insisted, slowing her pace to match his. "I mean, you programmed the very first Jaegers! And you and Dr. Geizler got information about the Breach that saved the world! You know how many of us tech-heads here look up to you? You're just as much heroes as the Rangers!"

At that he gave a little smile. "You flatter me, Rossi. And I'll have to pass that word along to Newton. Or perhaps not – he's gotten rather puffed up and full of himself lately."

"Not undeservedly," she said with a bit of a laugh. "Did he really Drift with a Kaiju? Twice?"

Hermann rolled his eyes. "Given that the first time was only with a chunk of its brain, I'm not sure it counts."

Activity in the Jaeger bay was dying down for the night, many of the mechanics and technicians returning to their quarters to sleep. A skeleton crew would stay on duty during the night to ensure no glitches or mechanical failures occurred overnight, and a few workers would continue construction of Mustang in order to ensure it was finished on schedule, but for the most part everyone was quitting for the day. Hermann and Bailey were hardly the only ones leaving for the night – a steady stream of workers was making for the exit, talking and laughing, ready to call it a day.

Bailey paused a moment to peer into Cherno Alpha's bay, eyes unexpectedly sad. "It's a shame… I always liked Cherno Alpha."

"It was an outdated model," Hermann told her, though not unkindly. "It is a shame to see it go after such a long run, but all things must come to an end sometime. And it's not as if it's being scrapped."

"That's true… still, it's sad to see it go." She took one more look before resuming her walk. "Are Rangers allowed to sleep in the hangars?"

"I don't know," Hermann confessed, "but given the circumstances I doubt anyone's going to call the Kaidonovskys out for breaking the rules."

As they passed Crimson Typhoon's bay, a grungy mechanic moved to join them, mopping his face with a rag that was just as dirty as he was. "You eggheads don't mind if I walk with ya, do ya?"

"Eggheads, honestly," Hermann huffed.

"We don't mind," Bailey replied. "So you finally got off the night crew, Janson?"

He nodded. "Thank God, too. Working nights here gives me the creeps. Don't envy whoever they called in to replace me."

Bailey frowned. "What's wrong with working the night shifts? This place isn't haunted, is it?" She laughed softly, only for the chuckle to taper off when she noted how both men were staring at her. "You don't honestly believe, Dr. Gottlieb…"

"Not haunted per se," Hermann replied. "However… are you familiar with the phenomenon known as 'Ghost-Drifting?'"

She shook her head. "Can't say that I am."

"Come spend a night in here sometime an' find out," Janson said grimly. "Unsettling, it is. Be workin' on an offline Jaeger, mindin' your own business, an' suddenly the thing starts twitching on you. Wouldn't be so bad if they were smaller, but when somethin' the size of a building starts gettin' the shivers you damn well take notice. Near lost Hideaki once when Striker twitched on him and he fell… lucky he landed on a catwalk and just broke his arm…"

"Oh wow," she breathed. "They can move on their own? Do you know what this means, Dr. Gottlieb?"

Hermann shook his head. "Don't get overexcited, Rossi," he advised. "The Jaegers are not coming to life or any such nonsense. The Ghost-Drift has a perfectly reasonable explanation."

Janson snorted in disbelief.

"Drifting is not without it's long-term consequences, as we have discovered," Hermann went on, ignoring the mechanic. "Two Rangers who have been Drifting regularly over a long period of time will often report being able to share thoughts and feelings outside of the neural handshake – a Drift hangover, they often call it. The Kaidonovskys, as you can see, shared a strong bond, and the Wei Tangs' bond was deep enough that they could often predict one another's actions. Rangers have even reported being able to feel one another's pain, or dream in tandem with one another. We haven't been able to explain why yet, but it's a recorded phenomenon all the same

"Ghost-Drifting is similar to the Drift hangover, except it exhibits in the Jaeger itself. When its Rangers are asleep, and if it's still hooked up to a power source, a Jaeger will occasionally respond to its Rangers' thoughts and emotions while they're dreaming. The problem is generally resolved by disconnecting their power until the Rangers have awakened."

Bailey frowned. "That shouldn't be possible, sir. Not unless the Rangers are still hooked to their Pons headsets while they're asleep."

"I'm confident that there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this behavior," Hermann replied. "It's just a matter of finding it is all."

Janson snorted again. "Unnatural, if you ask me. Just glad I ain't gotta be around nights anymore to see it. What happens if one of 'em starts sleepwalking or somethin'? An' Crimson's been awfully twitchy ever since its pilots went into comas… only be a matter of time before someone gets killed."

"Oh, do stop with the paranoia," Hermann advised.

The mechanic, scientist, and programmer stepped into the lift, still talking amongst themselves. None of them thought to look back at Cherno Alpha's hangar before the lift doors closed. If they had, they might have noted that despite not being connected to a power source, the Mark I Jaeger was flexing the fingers of its still-intact hand just slightly…


	5. Rookies and Veterans

_The taxi pulled up to the gates of the Vladivostok Shatterdome, its yellow sides slicked with rain and its wipers working at full speed to clear the windshield. It paused there, as if the driver were briefly considering trying to pull through, then simply turned broadside to the gate to drop off its passengers. The vehicle earned a brief glower from the security guard, but once he recognized the cab's occupants his glare faded, and he ducked out of the gate terminal to open the door for them._

_Aleksis didn't move for a long moment. He continued to stare straight ahead, his eyes aimed at the back of the cab driver's head but his gaze far away. He only vaguely heard the guard asking if he was all right – all sounds seemed to be blending with the constant drone of the rain, smeared into incoherence._

_Finally he regained his senses, and he shook his head slightly before paying the cab driver and climbing out. He turned to help Sasha out, only to find that she, too, was still lost in her own thoughts. Not until he took her hand and squeezed it gently did she seem to come back to herself, and she gave him the puzzled look of one who had just woken up before seeming to recognize where she was. Then she gave him a faint, sad smile before climbing out after him._

" _Welcome back, sir, ma'am," the guard greeted as the cab pulled away, kicking up a spray of road-grime and water in its wake. "How'd the appointment go?"_

_It was a casual question, one made in complete ignorance and without malice… but it made Aleksis want to lash out and punch the man anyhow. He restrained himself, however, and merely shook his head before leading Sasha through the gates. She followed without resistance._

_Technicians and crewmen seemed to sense something was wrong, and they quieted down and moved quickly out of the way as the Kaidonovskys made their way through the Shatterdome. No one spoke, not to ask what was wrong or how the doctor's visit had gone or anything else. Even their commander only nodded respectfully as they passed him by, suspecting what had happened and perfectly willing to grant them privacy for a moment._

_Neither Ranger spoke… but at this point words weren't needed. They'd done their share of talking and crying back at the hospital, first denying the truth of what the physician had told them, then struggling to understand how it could have happened. There would be further time for discussion, they knew, and neither of them were finished venting their grief yet. But for now there was nothing to be said._

_Finally they reached the Jaeger bay… and Cherno Alpha's hangar. The metallic titan stood as stoically as ever, his usual retinue of techs and repairmen gone for the moment. To the untrained eye he looked lifeless and cold, a massive construct rendered inert by the absence of its pilots…_

… _and yet the Kaidonovskys felt as if Cherno looked back at them expectantly, almost eagerly. He had missed them, they had gone an entire day without visiting him, were they okay, he'd had a tune-up since they had seen him last, did he look any different? Over two thousand tons of monster-slaying steel stood before them, and yet somehow his presence in their minds was like that of an eager puppy greeting its owner after a long work day._

_Despite everything – his devotion to Cherno, his love for Sasha and their Jaeger, his firm belief that Cherno had some sort of personality and soul inside that titanium shell – Aleksis felt a brief burst of anger. For all they had done for the Jaeger, he had repaid them in the cruelest manner possible…_

_Sasha's grip tightened on his hand, breaking him out of that train of thought. "It… isn't his fault," she murmured. "Don't blame Cherno. He didn't do this."_

_Aleksis felt his anger snuff out at that. No… he couldn't hate Cherno. The Jaeger couldn't help how he was designed. Couldn't help that crisis and necessity had made his designers short-sighted, their focus on strength and armor rather than pilot safety. He had no control over the fact that the very source of his life was radioactive, not any more than Sasha and Aleksis could control the color of their blood._

_And the last thing on the designers' minds had been shielding the operators from the deadly effects of their Jaeger's reactor. Only when pilots of other Mark I Jaegers had begun falling ill, suffering from radiation sickness or even cancer, had the Kaidonovskys' commander finally ordered them to undergo a complete physical and a battery of tests, and scheduled Cherno for an upgrade that would protect his pilots from excess radiation._

_Too little, too late. Sasha and Aleksis had been spared from cancer… but their dream of starting a family together was shattered. Thanks to their exposure to Cherno's reactor, they would never have children of their own._

_Sasha's composure crumbled at last, and she turned and buried her face in Aleksis' chest. He held her tightly as she sobbed, feeling his own resolve crack and tears slide down his cheeks. This war had cost so many people everything – homes, loved ones, even their lives – but it had exacted a particularly cruel price from them. How they had longed for children of their own, a family beyond themselves and Cherno… a spark of innocence and renewal amid the destruction and cynicism that reigned in the era of the Kaiju War. Perhaps this wasn't the best world or the best circumstances to bring a child into, but they had hoped for a chance to expand their family, to establish a life outside the war._

_Confusion… sadness… a burst of assurance that they were still loved, that someone still cared. They could feel the presence they had come to see as Cherno's trying to reach out to them, doing his best to comfort them. There was still that sense of puzzled sorrow, as if he couldn't quite understand why they were so upset, but he was fully willing to grieve with them anyhow._

_Aleksis led Sasha deeper into the hangar, and the two of them sat down beside Cherno's foot, leaning back against the metal as if taking comfort from the Jaeger's touch. There they held each other, venting their grief, talking and crying long into the night. And despite their pain, they could feel Cherno's presence the whole while, a welcome light in the darkness._

* * *

The moment the two walked into the Jaeger bay Hercules recognized them as Mustang Omega's new Rangers – not by their faces or their gear, but by their stride and expressions. Those cocky swaggers, those confident smiles, that gleam in their eyes that yearned for adventure and recognition… those were all too familiar to him. He'd seen that same walk and look on many a young rookie, new Rangers who were absolutely certain they were the best in their field and that the moment they climbed into a Conn Pod they'd be invincible and unstoppable.

Herc snorted, shaking his head. Raleigh and Yancey had looked just the same when he'd first met them, and sadly it had taken a brutal tragedy to knock Raleigh's pride down and make him realize that even Rangers, for all their prowess, were mortals too. And Chuck had walked with that same swagger… but he forced himself away from that train of thought. Thinking about the younger Hansen was still too painful.

A buzz of conversation rippled through the bay as Mustang Omega's pilots made their way toward the Mark VI's hangar. A man and a woman, looking to be in their late twenties by Herc's estimate, they had the same heart-shaped face, amber-brown eyes, and high arched eyebrows. They were roughly the same height as well, and while their hair was styled differently – his spiked up with frosted-blond tips, hers in a multitude of tiny braids and interwoven with beads – it shared the same chocolate-brown hue. They both wore black leather jackets and well-worn jeans, though hers were of a more flare-legged cut than his, and his jacket was open to display an aged Daft Punk concert shirt while hers was buttoned securely up as if against a chill.

Herc made his assessment quickly, with nearly brutal efficiency. Siblings, possibly twins, and if their ages were anything to go by they had either still been in training or just graduated when the Ranger program had shut down. Probably the top of their class, too… and judging by the cocky grins, they knew it all too well.

Raleigh, standing to Herc's right, gave a snort of amusement. "Tell me I wasn't that…" He searched for the word.

"Arrogant?" Herc supplied. "Yeah, you were. Y' got better, though."

Raleigh chuckled. "You sure don't pull punches. Maybe they'll be better when we get to know them, though."

"Wouldn't count on it," Herc replied.

A shout of surprised pleasure from behind them cut off any further conversation. "Lance! Lexie! Oh my god, it's you!"

Raleigh hastily stepped to the side as Bailey, the young technician that had been toiling away at Mustang's code for weeks, rushed toward the two Rangers. The man smiled, some of the smugness dropping from his expression, and he embraced the tech with a laugh.

"How's our little sister?" he asked.

"I'm doing great. But holy crap, guys, you didn't say a thing about you being the new Rangers!"

"You never asked," the woman noted, stepping forward to hug her as well. "Pretty cool, though, huh? Betcha never dreamed you'd get to help design our Jaeger."

"Oh, uh, not really," Bailey confessed. "Though really, most of the credit goes to Dr. Gottlieb, I just help work out the bugs…"

Lance seemed to lose interest in the turn of conversation, and he stepped past Bailey to stare up at the towering form of Mustang. A covetous gleam lit up his eyes as he looked the Jaeger over, his gaze roaming over the glossy black armor, the slim but powerful limbs, the crest of a stylized horse rearing on a backdrop of flames marking its chest. That was another look Herc was familiar with – the look on a new Ranger's face upon seeing his new Jaeger, like an excited child getting the gift of his dreams at Christmas.

A fully understandable feeling, he figured… but they hadn't brought the new Rangers here to gawk. He coughed noisily, drawing their attention.

"Hercules Hansen," he said by way of greeting. "Your superior officer."

Lexie frowned. "I thought Mr. Choi was in charge of the Shatterdome."

"He runs the base," Herc clarified, "an' I run the Rangers. You listen to Choi, but you take orders from me." He jerked a thumb toward his chest. "So you're the new recruits."

"Guilty as charged," Lance replied, holding his hand out. "Lance Rossi. This is my sister, Lexie. You already know our other sister Bailey, looks like."

Herc took the hand and shook it briefly. "What's your sim score?"

The smugness returned to Rossi's expression. "Forty-six missions, forty-six kills."

Raleigh whistled. "Not bad."

Lance turned and looked Raleigh up and down, raising an eyebrow. "Um, no offense, but… who are you?"

"I'm Raleigh Beckett," he replied. "Mako Mori and I are… well, were the pilots of Gipsy Danger."

"Oh, right, the Alaskan Jaeger that took out the Breach." Lance nodded. "Awesome. Gipsy's name's all over the news, but I didn't remember the pilots' names."

Years ago, Herc knew a comment like that would have bruised Raleigh's ego. But now he just shrugged and chuckled. "No worries. People tend to remember Jaeger names better than the Rangers' names anyhow. They're more iconic."

Lance nodded, then returned his attention to Mustang. "Frickin' gorgeous."

Raleigh nodded, though Herc heard him mutter "Not as beautiful as Gipsy was."

"When do we actually get inside?" asked Lexie. "We didn't come all this way for nothin', after all. I want to get in and see how it handles."

Raleigh and Herc shared a puzzled look, not sure how to answer that. Had the Rossis been told the truth about Mustang yet? And more importantly, how would they react when they learned they would be handling the Jaeger remotely instead of going directly into battle with it?

Thankfully Hermann made his way toward the hangar at that moment, grumbling irritably. "Bloody blasted menace… chewing holes in my pant leg… Newton is going to pay…"

"Dr. Gottlieb, the new Rangers are here," Bailey told him, cutting into his monologue. "This is my brother, Lance, and my sister, Lexie. They're the ones assigned to Mustang Omega."

Hermann looked up and stared a moment at the twins, blinking slowly as if just realizing they were there. Lance stared back, eyebrow raised, while Lexie kept her gaze on Mustang, a puzzled frown on her face as something seemed to occur to her.

"I wasn't aware that we had Rangers selected yet," Hermann said at last. "But so long as they're here they can help us make the final adjustments."

Lance made a face. "I'm a Ranger, not a mechanic. I don't do grease-monkey or nerd-squad work, I just get in the thing and make it move."

Raleigh's eyes flashed at the remark, and Herc felt himself bristle at Lance's casual statement. Another one of these, then – Rangers who saw their Jaegers as mere weapons or vehicles, perfectly content to let others take care of their mechas' maintenance and only care about them when the time came to actually climb into the cockpit and start kicking ass. He had little patience for rookies like this, and all too often they got themselves killed before learning to have the proper respect for their Jaeger partners.

"That's quite all right, Mr. Rossi," Hermann replied, a sardonic smile on his lips. "We just need you and Ms. Rossi to move and operate Mustang while we fine-tune its joints and servos. No one will expect you to demean yourself by picking up a wrench or touching a keyboard or, God forbid, getting lubricants on your jacket."

Lance completely missed the mocking tone of Hermann's voice. "Oh, good. We can handle that kinda stuff."

"Where's the Conn Pod?" asked Lexie, turning to face Hermann. "Or have you guys not put that in yet?"

Herc frowned. "You haven't even been told about Mustang's tech specs?"

"That might have been in the folder we were given," Lance noted. "I didn't read it, though… Lexie, did we bring it?"

"I thought you had it in your bag," she replied. "You better not have thrown it away."

Herc groaned. Were these really their top recruits? He shuddered to think what the rest of the Rangers-in-training had been like if this was the best they could give them for Mustang. Hopefully at least Crimson's new pilots would have a good share of brain cells between them.

Hermann seemed to be fighting the urge to roll his eyes as he explained. "If you had read Mustang Omega's file, you would know that it is the first – and thus far only – Mark VI Jaeger, and the first to display an external control system. The Conn Pod will not be attached to the Jaeger, but kept here at the Shatterdome. You will still engage in the neural handshake to operate Mustang, but you will control it remotely."

"So it's like one of those RC cars," said Lance. "Or a virtual reality game. Or kinda both, I guess."

"Got it on the first try," Raleigh muttered.

"The technology's much more advanced, but basically," Bailey replied. "It's designed to keep the Rangers safe should anything happen to the Jaeger. The Kaiju learned that the cockpit was the weakest part of the Jaeger, so hopefully this'll circumvent that weakness."

"So we'll still be kicking ass and taking names, just from a distance," Lexie noted, nodding and looking impressed. "Sounds cool to me."

Cool… that made him bristle all over again. Sure, some rookie fresh out of training would assume any newfangled feature on a Jaeger would be "cool," and that all that mattered was being able to pilot the thing and go punch something. They had no clue, no idea, what sort of responsibility was being laid on their shoulders, how being Rangers was about more than just playing around inside a giant robot. They hadn't even an inkling of how deep the bond between Ranger and Jaeger was, or what the consequences could be if they failed to stop a Kaiju…

He shook his head. Never mind that. The Breach was closed, and Mustang was merely a safeguard on the remote chance that another threat ventured onto their world's shores. There was a good chance that Lance and Lexie would never be required to go fight, or to even operate their Jaeger outside of a few test runs. For their sakes, he hoped that was the case.

And he had to remind himself that the Rossis were still young, still new to the program. Perhaps, given time, they would lose some of their bravado and naiveté, and actually make decent Rangers. Perhaps, given time, they would even learn to appreciate Mustang as part of their team, and form the same sort of bond with him as other pilots had with their Jaegers – maybe not a bond as deep as the Kaidonovskys had formed with Cherno, but then, Team Cherno Alpha had been together for so long that few bonds could top it in depth.

He wouldn't hold his breath, though. More likely these two would do something stupid and get Mustang wrecked somehow. And while that experience might humble them slightly, it would still be a mighty expensive lesson.

"I can show you guys to your rooms if you'd like," Raleigh volunteered.

"Thanks, but we can manage," Lexie assured him. "See ya, Beckett, Herc. Nice dog." And she turned and walked away, Lance close behind.

Max gave a deep whining growl and pressed against Herc's leg, as if he found the sudden attention from Lexie more frightening than friendly. Herc absently reached down and scratched the bulldog's head, watching the two pilots stroll off. Already he didn't like those two – their cavalier attitude toward their Jaeger and their obvious contempt for menial or cerebral work rubbed him the wrong way. As a Ranger who had never been afraid to pitch in when Striker had needed routine work done, he found their disdain for such work irritating to say the least.

He glanced over at Raleigh, who was looking after the two new recruits with a wary expression. At least he wasn't alone in his thinking.

* * *

It might have been the sound of approaching voices that woke Sasha up, or it might have been the flash of pain in her back from sleeping in an awkward position. At any rate, she opened her eyes and blinked the haze from them, frowning. So many nights spent in a hospital bed had made her unused to the atmosphere of a Shatterdome, and the sounds of heavy machinery and the smell of iron and oil were more disorienting than welcome at first.

Then her memory settled down, recognizing this place as a home of sorts. Shatterdomes had always been home for the two of them, whether it was the Vladivostok base in Siberia or the Hong Kong base that had housed Pentecost's resistance. Quarters were rarely comfortable and the Jaeger bases were never the most scenic of homes, but so long as she had Aleksis and Cherno she had never really minded.

Aleksis was still asleep, one arm draped around her. She carefully moved his arm and got to her feet, wincing at the lingering pain in her leg. Once she was sure her healing leg would take her weight without her needing her cane, she turned to regard Cherno's wreck.

As silly as it seemed, part of her had hoped that Cherno would go back to normal overnight, that the sight of him mangled and ruined had just been part of a horrific nightmare. But the Jaeger remained slumped against the wall, one arm still lying in his lap, chassis still half-melted and ragged. She swallowed, willing herself not to start crying again, and made her way toward his foot, resting one hand against the thick ankle joint.

Odd… the metal felt warm to the touch. She had expected to feel a chill at the contact, but the alloy beneath her fingers felt as if it had been sitting in the sun for a short time. But Cherno hadn't been outside, and his internal engines and mechanisms hadn't been operating in some time, so it couldn't be residual heat from that. Perhaps it was simply her imagination…

"Oh, hey."

She dropped her hand and turned, her train of thought abruptly derailed.

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to scare you," the young man apologized, raising his hands. "Just looking. That's allowed, right?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly. This wasn't a Shatterdome employee – he wasn't wearing a nametag or uniform, and somehow she doubted that Tendo could afford to bring in a new scientist. Civilians weren't allowed inside the Shatterdome unless they were family to the Rangers, and as far as she knew Raleigh, Hercules, and Mako had no living family members, or at least none that could make the journey to Hong Kong.

That left only one other option. "You must be one of the new Rangers."

"Guilty, ma'am," he replied, grinning excitedly. "My sister and I just got the call last night to show up and get ready for piloting Mustang Omega. We're pretty freakin' excited." He held his hand out. "Lance Rossi."

She hesitated, then reached out and took his hand as well. "Sasha Kaidonovsky."

His jaw dropped. "No way… THE Sasha Kaidonovsky?" His gaze fell on Aleksis, who was groggily sitting up at the moment. "You guys are the Kaidonovskys?"

 _Last time we checked,_ Sasha thought dryly, frowning a bit at the boy's fanboy-ing. She only nodded in response, though.

"This is awesome!" he gushed, shaking her hand a little too enthusiastically. "I've heard about you guys, you're awesome! And Cherno Alpha – wow, I've heard the stories. The Husky Russkie, they called it back in boot camp. Not a Kaiju spawned that could stand up against it…"

Sasha winced and pulled her hand away. "Why are you here?"

"We just wanted to take a look at some of the other Jaegers," a young woman replied, walking into the hangar. "I'm Lexie. Lance's sister and co-pilot. Sorry about him, he's getting his geek on a little too much."

"Can I help it that I love the Jaegers?" asked Lance. "Piloting one's been, like, my dream for years. Now I finally got a chance – oh whoa." His gaze had finally landed on Cherno, and he recoiled slightly. "What the hell happened to it? Looks like it blew up or something."

Sasha didn't want to talk about it, especially not to someone she had barely met. So she kept silent, letting Lance and Lexie figure out what had happened for themselves.

"Those are tooth marks," Lexie realized, grimacing as she looked up at the Jaeger. "Some Kaiju took it down, looks like."

"Two," Aleksis said at last, reaching out to pull his walker close. "It took two. Cherno fought to the bitter end."

Lexie pursed her lips as she studied the Jaeger. "Hmph. Rather heavily built. Looks like what it gains in armor it loses in speed. Probably what led to it being taken down so easily. That was the problem with a lot of the Mark I Jaegers, I think – they were too clunky, not agile enough. Probably the reason why there aren't any left."

Sasha felt muscles in her neck and shoulders tense in irritation. Cherno had most certainly NOT gone down easily… and what did this child know of Jaegers anyhow? Cherno had been built to take abuse, and simply because some people thought all Jaegers should be made sleek and beautiful didn't mean Cherno was substandard. On the contrary, he was more beautiful because of his strength, not some flimsy mecha that would go down at the first solid blow from an opponent.

"It's still a cool machine," Lance pointed out. "You know, for being so old. And there's a lot of history to it. Shame it's out of commission."

"I agree it's cool," Lexie told him, "but it's like comparing a B-52 to a stealth fighter. The B-52 was great for its time, but technology changes and makes the old machines obsolete. And if I had to choose between the older machine and the stealth fighter to go to war… well, I'm going with the stealth fighter. Or in our case, the Mark VI."

Irritation flared into anger and outrage. How dare they insult Cherno like this? How dare they imply he was obsolete and substandard? What did they know of Jaegers anyhow, these children who had yet to even set foot in a Conn Pod or face a Kaiju in battle? How could they presume to know what made a superior Jaeger?

Aleksis' eyes flashed, and he hauled himself to his feet. Before Sasha or Lance could intervene he had made his way over to Lexie, his jaw set in a grim scowl. The rookie pilot was almost a foot and a half shorter than the veteran, but to her credit she didn't back down but only stared up at the man warily.

"Child," he said slowly, "you do not talk like that about our Cherno. Not now. Not ever. Only when you have faced the monsters of the Breach for yourselves, and put your lives and your Jaeger on the line to destroy them, can you assume to know anything about what makes a good Jaeger. And know this – no matter how new and fancy Mustang Omega may be, Cherno Alpha will always be twice the Jaeger he is."

Lexie scowled and stepped back a few paces. "He? You talk like it's alive." She shook her head and grabbed her brother's arm. "Let's get out of here. These guys are crazy."

"Aw, c'mon, I wanted to ask them if they'd share some war stories…" Lance grumbled, but didn't resist as Lexie dragged him out of the hangar.

Aleksis scowled after the two rookies, watching them until they vanished from view. "Children. Both of them. They know nothing."

Sasha sighed deeply. "We all had to start as children, knowing nothing of the Jaegers and how they would affect us. But I do not like the girl." She reached out and rested a hand on Aleksis' arm. "Forget them, though. The Kaiju are gone. They will not be in service to the PPDC for long."

Aleksis didn't look convinced, but he seemed to let the matter go for the moment. He turned back to Cherno, and hobbled the few steps forward to stand beside the Jaeger's leg.

"Don't listen to them, Cherno," he advised. "They know nothing of your service or your great deeds. You are still the best."

Long ago Sasha might have questioned why Aleksis insisted on talking to their Jaeger as if he could hear them. But now she only gave a sad smile and went to stand beside him. Contrary to what anyone else claimed, even the Jaeger designers and programmers themselves, she fully believed that there was some part of Cherno that was alive and responsive, able to hear and feel and empathize. He had always existed not just as a mechanical titan, but as a presence in their minds, a companion in the Drift whenever they fought… and toward the end even outside the Drift, some part of him staying with them wherever they went.

They had never spoken of it to anyone else – both knew that any mention that Cherno was alive and aware would only end with the two of them being ejected from the program and referred to a psychiatrist for schizophrenic tendencies. No one outside the Rangers was willing to admit that the Jaegers were far more than just mobile weapons, but partners and even beings with some degree of sentience, however slight. No other pilots had spoken of a telepathic bond with their machines, however… and the Kaidonovskys, for all they wanted to share their findings with others, didn't dare for fear of being written off as crazy.

That didn't stop them from still treating Cherno as if he could hear and sense them, however… nor did it keep them from mourning his destruction.

Aleksis reached out to touch the Jaeger's foot, giving it a comforting pat… and frowned. "He is warm."

"He is," Sasha acknowledged. "I'm not sure why… perhaps someone reactivated his power source."

"Why?" Aleksis replied, still frowning in confusion. "What would be the point? They wouldn't reactivate a dead Jaeger. It would be a waste of resources." He spat those last words out, as if they were too bitter to keep in his mouth.

"He… he may not be dead," Sasha suggested hesitantly. "Remember… someone called out to us through the Drift. We were about to give up and die, but someone pulled us back. I think it might have been Cherno."

Aleksis shook his head. "It couldn't have been… look at him! He could not have survived what Otachi and Leatherback did to him!"

"How do we know? These aren't animals or people, Aleksis, but Jaegers. Perhaps they work differently from us… and perhaps even with so much damage to his body, Cherno's still alive." A wild hope burned in her chest, growing warmer and brighter the more she spoke. "He could still be with us… we may not have lost him after all."

Aleksis stared longingly up at Cherno, keeping a hand against his foot. "I want to believe that… but what does it matter? In a few hours Cherno goes to Sydney, and we lose him forever."

"We could stay close to him," Sasha insisted. "We could buy or rent a house in Australia…"

"With what?" Aleksis demanded dully. "We haven't the money for anything like that. Hell, once we leave the Shatterdome we'll be lucky to have a place to sleep. Tendo doesn't even have the funding to pay all the Shatterdome workers, let alone give us a severance package or pay our medical bills."

"Aleksis, please… don't lose hope," she pleaded. "There has to be a way we can remain with him." A sudden thought crossed her mind. "At the very least… we can say goodbye. Properly."

He raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. "Properly?"

"Properly," she repeated. "Through the Drift. Engage in one last neural handshake with Cherno, before they take him away."

His eyes widened slightly at that. Then he nodded, and for the first time that day a slight smile crossed his face. "That's crazy… but it just might be crazy enough to work."

Sasha nodded, and she turned and walked out of the hangar, doing her best to suppress her limp. Best to find someone who could help them with this before she or Aleksis started thinking twice about this decision.

Bailey Rossi was just walking out of Mustang Omega's hangar, so absorbed in her tablet that she nearly ran into Sasha on her way out. The young tech gasped and dropped the tablet, flailing slightly at the near collision.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "Oh geez, I'm so oblivious…"

"Don't be," Sasha assured her. "You're just the person I wanted to talk to."

"Oh, really?" Bailey bent down and picked up her tablet. "How can I help you? My brother and sister haven't been obnoxious with you, have they?"

So she shared more than just a last name with the new recruits… interesting. "Aleksis and I want in Cherno Alpha's cockpit one last time. We want to say goodbye."

"Oh… um, I don't have the proper clearance to open a Conn Pod. I can check with someone who can do that for you, though."

Sasha shook her head. "We don't just want inside… we want to Drift with him."

Bailey's eyes widened. "Y-you want to… but Cherno's systems are badly damaged, ma'am. Drifting's dangerous enough in a fully operational Jaeger, who knows what drifting with one that's this badly out of whack can do! It could hurt you guys…"

"We are willing to take the risk," Sasha assured her. "Please… just for a few minutes. To say our goodbyes."

Bailey bit her lip as she considered, obviously weighing Sasha's request against the potential consequences – harm to the pilots, damage to the Jaeger, and of course the possibility that she could lose her own job. Then she gave a hesitant nod.

"All right… I may know someone who can sneak me a passcode. But I still don't like this."

Sasha patted her arm. "It means much to us, however. And if there is trouble, we will take the blame."

"If you're still alive to blame," Bailey noted darkly, and hurried off.

Sasha took in a deep breath and turned back to Cherno's hangar. Her and Aleksis' gear should still be in a locker in their hangar, if the maintenance crews had kept things the way they were. It was time to get suited up… for the last time.


	6. Spirits and Souls

_Sasha was helping a tech rewire some of the vital systems in Cherno's computer core, her arms elbow-deep in wires and cables, when Aleksis' bellow sounded through the Jaeger hangar._

" _ILYA!"_

_The tech working alongside her winced, but Sasha just fought back a grin and resumed her work. Whatever Ilya had done now, it must have been amusing. Aleksis might rant and rave awhile, but the old man's habits and occasional pranks were generally harmless._

_Since the two of them had become Rangers, Sasha's family had visited the Shatterdome several times, and her brothers had all established some degree of rapport with the techs and engineers here. Aleksis' family dropped by far less often – since their wedding she had seen his parents only once, and that had been a brief visit to inform him that his grandparents had passed away. The only member of his family who came by with any regularity was his great-uncle, Ilya Kaidonovsky… but the old man dropped by on a regular basis, almost as if to make up for the lack of visits by other family members._

_Ilya was currently sitting on a supply crate nearby, leaning forward on his cane and half-dozing as he waited for his nephew and niece-in-law to finish tending to Cherno. Bald save for a ring of silvery-white hair ringing his shiny scalp, he nonetheless sported a full beard that reached nearly to his breastbone. His hands were gnarled and worn and he walked with a hitching limp, the result of slipping on an icy dock and badly breaking his leg and hip years ago. But despite his advanced years, he was still quick in wit and bright in eye, and often acted as if he were a man half his age._

_Right now Sasha was willing to wager that Ilya was fully awake, but feigning sleep so as to quietly witness whatever drama he had just set into motion play out. She pulled her hands free of the wires and turned to watch as Aleksis climbed down the scaffolding that bracketed Cherno's side. This was bound to be amusing._

_Aleksis finally reached the hangar floor, and he stormed over to where Ilya sat, eyes flashing. Maintenance crews hurriedly scrambled to get out of his way, as if he were a Kaiju storming the shore. Sasha had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Why so many were scared of the tall Ranger she couldn't understand – he might look intimidating and put on a show of being gruff and aloof, but he was a softie at heart._

_Ilya remained hunched over, eyes closed, until Aleksis was standing directly over him. Then he opened his eyes and looked up at the taller Kaidonovsky, giving him an impish sort of smile._

" _Is there a problem?" he asked, the picture of innocence._

_In response Aleksis thrust his hands forward, showing him a bundle of white cloth. "This."_

_Ilya raised an eyebrow. "What did you go and take that out for? Do you know how many steps I had to climb to put it there? All my hard work and aches and pains for nothing, boy!" His voice was grouchy, but his eyes danced merrily._

" _That doesn't matter," Aleksis snapped. "There is to be no food in Cherno's Conn Pod!"_

" _Food?" repeated Sasha, and she left off her work and went over to investigate. "What do you mean?"_

_In response Aleksis unwrapped the cloth, revealing several slices of bread liberally sprinkled with a coarse white powder that appeared to be salt. She furrowed her brow in confusion. If this was some sort of joke on Ilya's part, she wasn't sure she got it. He was fond of planting things in their quarters whenever he visited, but it was usually silly stuff like balloons or a music player that would start playing polka songs at random intervals. But he had never hidden anything in Cherno's Conn Pod before, understanding that the Jaeger was off-limits to that sort of thing, and how salt and bread were supposed to be amusing was beyond her._

" _He is right," she said at length. "The Shatterdome has a rat problem, and the last thing we need is for them to decide Cherno is a food source. Besides, isn't bread expensive for you?"_

 _Ilya grinned. "Nothing is too good for the_ domovoi _! Isn't that right, Aleksis?"_

_Aleksis groaned. "Not this again, Uncle."_

"Domovoi _?" Sasha thought she remembered the word. It had popped up in books she had read as a child, though she could no longer remember specifics. "What are you talking about?"_

" _You don't know the_ domovoi? _" Ilya demanded. "Honestly, does no one tell their children the old tales anymore?" He threw his hands up in exasperation, almost knocking the bread out of Aleksis' hands. "I would have thought you'd at least tell her the basics, Aleksis… you used to love the old tales of Baba Yaga and the Firebird and Katschei the Deathless…"_

_Aleksis rolled his eyes. "We've had more important things to worry about."_

" _Bah!" Ilya waved him away and turned to Sasha. "The_ domovoi, _my girl. The house spirit. The guardian of the hearth. He watches the household, maintains peace and order, and on occasion helps with the housework. To mistreat him is to bring bad luck on the household, but to honor him is to ensure good fortune." He pointed to the half-wrapped bundle in Aleksis' arms. "That was SUPPOSED to be an offering for him! To ensure your good luck!"_

" _Oh… I see." She nodded, mostly to humor the old man. Another odd quirk of Aleksis' great-uncle – he had a deep love for mythology and folklore, and it seemed his belief in the creatures and spirits of the old stories had only deepened with the passing years. Aleksis' family apparently tolerated his belief as just another eccentricity, but the Shatterdome crews were still getting used to his quirks whenever he visited, such as leaving the shower running for the_ bannik _(and consequently using up most of the hot water) or advising everyone to stay out of the water at certain times of the year to avoid the_ rusalka.

" _Uncle," Aleksis said in a tone of long-suffering, "the_ domovoi _is just a story. There is no_ domovoi _in the Shatterdome, and certainly not in our Jaeger's Conn Pod. You might worry about offending spirits or_ rusalka _or whatever you believe in this week, but we have very real monsters of the deep to be worrying about."_

_Ilya didn't seem at all hurt by Aleksis' words. Instead he raised a hand and shook a finger at him. "No such thing as the old spirits, you say? And yet you two are so fond of telling me the stories about Cherno Alpha. How he listens to you and obeys your commands, how he protects you and the Shatterdome… how he's more than just a machine." He chuckled softly. "How he lives."_

_Aleksis and Sasha shared a long look at that. Ilya was the only one they had ever told about their suspicions regarding Cherno, and he had never given them a hard time about their claims until now. But what did Cherno have to do with…_

" _I'd say you have your own guardian spirit within the Shatterdome," he said with a wide smile. "Your own_ domovoi. _He has just chosen to take on a form of metal instead of flesh." His gaze moved to the packet of bread, then back up to the two Rangers. "But perhaps he'd prefer another offering than food, given that he's a machine… but what are you two willing to give him in return for all he has done for you? Only you can decide that."_

* * *

The citizens of Hong Kong's Bone Slums were used to seeing odd people walking the streets. After all, when your home was built in the shadow of a Kaiju skeleton and within the boundaries of a nuclear strike zone, you grew accustomed to strangeness. And even with so many varieties of strangeness mingling in the streets of the Slums, few people aside from the occasional brave tourist gave much notice to things and people that would have drawn stares in any other city.

Hannibal Chau's henchmen, with their pressed suits and gaudy jewelry, were a common enough sight that no one would have looked twice at them even if they didn't have guns and knives to ensure curious stares were turned away. The nuns and priests of the Kaiju Cult occasionally made the rounds in the slums, collecting donations and searching for possible converts among the pedestrians, and their flowing robes and elaborate headdresses didn't garner much attention anymore. Even the crop of mutants that had sprung up in the wake of the tactical nukes that had killed Reckoner – unfortunates born with misshapen limbs, extra fingers, discolored skin – went mostly ignored, save for those who had chosen to make their abnormality into a sideshow of sorts in hopes of earning their keep.

It took a special kind of strangeness to stand out here… and the bespectacled white guy sauntering down the street at that moment exhibited just that.

A group of factory workers making their way home stopped to stare as Newton Geizler strolled by, bobbing his head and timing his steps to match the music playing in his earbuds. It was a warm day, and so he'd left his coat back in the lab, leaving his shirt sleeves rolled up to display his vibrant Kaiju tattoos to the world. Under one arm he carried a clear canister of yellowish-green fluid in which a misshapen lump of tissue bobbed about; under the other he held an oblong package wrapped in stained brown paper. His hair was uncombed and sticking out at crazy angles, his face bore a few days' worth of stubble, and his tie hung loose about his neck and flapped against his chest with every step he took.

Just about everyone looking at the scientist almost instantly decided they had to be seeing a lunatic, and kept their distance accordingly. But Newt didn't care what they thought. He had his music, his Kaiju tissue sample to take home and analyze, and his butcher-shop scraps for Spike's dinner. All was currently right in his world, and no amount of staring from anyone else could change that.

He was so absorbed in the energetic beat of "Bohemian Rhapsody" coming over his earbuds that he didn't see the priestess who had stepped out to block his path until he'd almost run right into her. He skidded to a halt, dropping his package and Kaiju sample in the process.

"Oy!" He stumbled back, arms flailing. "Watch where you're going, why don't you!"

The priestess gave a little half-smile, then reached out and hooked a finger around the cord leading to his earbuds. With a swift jerk she pulled them out of his ears.

"My apologies," she said in a dark, smooth voice. "Are you all right. Dr. Geizler?"

He ignored the question, bending down to collect his things with a grumble. Thankfully the package hadn't busted open, and the worst his Kaiju sample had gotten was some scuffs to the canister. If either had managed to break or split open on the sidewalk, it would have been a real mess.

"Okay, phew, they're okay." He sighed in relief and situated them in his arms again. "Be more careful next time." He moved to keep walking, but the priestess had stepped to the side to block his way once more.

"Dude, what's your problem?" he grumbled.

"It is quite fortuitous that we've run into one another again, Dr. Geizler… or should I say almost run into one another?" She smiled, revealing dimples that might have been cute had they appeared on someone other than a Kaiju Cultist. Unlike the nuns who wandered the streets of the Bone Slums, who wore tall stylized hats but relatively simple red robes, the priestess was dressed in robes of flowing silver-green, lavishly embroidered with electric-blue thread in patterns that looked almost like the bioluminescent lines of a Kaiju. Her hat swept up in twin prongs that reminded Newt uncomfortably of Otachi's nose, and around her neck hung a pendant shaped like a clawed hand clutching a cloudy yellow crystal.

Newt grimaced and tried to step around her again, but she shifted yet again to thwart him. He didn't know this priestess' name or anything about her – the most he knew was that she wasn't Chinese or even East Asian but had come to Hong Kong from an Arabic country of some sort. But ever since the Breach had closed she'd been a royal pain in his ass. Almost any time he left the Shatterdome he ended up running into her, and having to sit through another of her long-winded invitations to join the cult. Each time he flatly refused – he might be a Kaiju enthusiast, but he wasn't stupid enough to start worshiping the things – but that didn't stop her from trying again the next time they crossed paths.

"The whispers from the deep are growing more intense, Dr. Geizler," she told him.

"For the last time, I'm not joining your little Kaiju prayer group," Newt told her. "Can I go now? I gotta feed Spike before he starts making noise and Hermann starts making noise about Spike making noise."

"The Messengers are not gone, Doctor," she insisted, her faint smile never fading and her voice never losing its calmness. "They may be taking a respite – a rather forced one, no thanks to your late friend Pentecost – but they will return. Surely you must know that."

Awhile back, the priestess' knowledge of what the Shatterdome commanders discussed on a daily basis might have unnerved Newt. Tendo, Hercules, and Hermann were frequently meeting to discuss the possibility of another Breach opening in the near future – after all, just because a door closed didn't mean it couldn't be forced open, or that another couldn't be hewn open at any given moment. And everyone, Tendo especially, feared what could happen should another Breach appear before they had Jaegers fully ready to combat whatever came out.

No one outside the Shatterdome was supposed to know this, of course. And when the priestess had first begun dropping hints about another the Kaiju possibly returning Newt had freaked out, wondering if the woman didn't have some sort of psychic or clairvoyant abilities. But when he'd approached Herc, giddy with panic, the former Ranger had simply rolled his eyes and told him that the cultists were constantly trying to plant spies among the Shatterdome personnel, and that they would weed out the mole as soon as they could. That had made sense, and now Newt just tried to ignore her whenever she dropped such hints.

"Look, lady," Newt griped, "let's get a few things straight here. One, you're creepy. Two, you're crazy. Three, did I mention you're creepy? Four, I dunno what you're going on about with the 'whispers from the deep,' but it sounds like you've been reading a little too much Lovecraft and getting it mixed up with what we know about the Kaiju. They're not messengers of any gods or Old Ones or advanced alien species… well, they're made by an advanced alien species, but they're not messengers, more like living Panzers or something. And sure, I have a healthy respect for the Kaiju, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna start saying that Trespasser died for my sins or anything crazy like that." He shifted the canister in one arm. "So pack up your Kaiju Bible and your little pamphlets, because they're not going to work on me. Okay?"

The priestess raised an eyebrow, not at all perturbed by his annoyed rant. "What you say may be true, though I have faith that you're wrong. But that does not change the fact that the whispers continue." She fingered the crystal about her neck, a sly smile on her face. "Do not try to fool me with misdirection or lies, Dr. Geizler. We know you have seen into the mind of the Kaiju. And we know you hear the whispers… and how, of late, they have grown stronger. The Messengers and their masters do not accept defeat, and even now are more active than ever."

Newt had opened his mouth to retort, but snapped it shut. "How'd you know…"

"You do not think that we did not see you invade the mind of the young Messenger?" she asked, and for the first time there was a hard edge to her voice. "The child of Otachi who gave well-earned humiliation to Hannibal, the Defiler? If you choose to enter the mind of the Messengers, Dr. Geizler, you have to be prepared to accept the consequences. You have seen the origins of the Kaiju… and surely you know that the Deep Ones, the masters of the Messengers, are planning great and terrible things for the future."

For once Newt judged it best not to give a witty retort, though he dearly wanted to. But this was all just nuts. He could buy that the cultists' agents in the Shatterdome might be overhearing the worries of the command element. He could even buy that they knew Tendo and Hermann suspected they hadn't seen the last of the Precursors or their overgrown attack dogs. But how she knew about THAT he couldn't even begin to guess – he hadn't even told Hermann about the nightmares, the gut-wrenching dreams that left him sitting bolt upright, drenched in cold sweat and gasping for breath, night after night.

… _the Breach pulsing open, hissing and spitting with otherworldly energy… the glowing Throat irising open to admit a cluster of hard-shelled forms… chitters and squeaks of conversation utterly alien to his ears, yet heavy with meaning… an organic fleet sent not as an armada of war, but an expedition, a pilgrimage even…_

The priestess nodded, as if satisfied by the look of startled realization on Newt's face. "You are welcome within our temple anytime, Dr. Geizler. As one who has had contact with the Messengers, you are one of the blessed ones. We understand if you do not wish to join us… but keep us in mind should the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps ever decide you are no longer useful to them." She turned to walk back to the temple, but then paused and called over her shoulder. "And tell your friend, Dr. Gottlieb, that he is welcome as well. And bring your little pet with you."

Newt shuddered and took off for the Shatterdome at a brisk clip, not even pausing to put his earbuds back in. That conversation took a turn for the weird really fast. And though she hadn't convinced him to reconsider her offer, she'd sure left him with something to think about.

* * *

Cherno Alpha's Conn Pod was a half-melted, twisted mess, ravaged by teeth and claws and acid until it was nearly unrecognizable. Yet incredibly, most of its internal systems still worked – or at least enough of them to enable a neural handshake. The technicians Bailey had managed to rope into this venture rather doubted that enough of the delicate circuitry remained intact to allow a Ranger to move the Jaeger at all, but then, it wasn't as if the Kaidonovskys were asking for full mobility.

Aleksis sighed softly as the last bit of harness was snapped into place, securing him into the cockpit. It felt strangely good to be back in the Conn Pod, armored and strapped in and ready to move in synch with Sasha and Cherno. His legs ached and trembled, unused to supporting his full weight, but he gritted his teeth and bore it. Synching up one last time would be worth it, he hoped.

Sasha reached over and clasped his arm, giving him a worried look. He simply nodded and turned his gaze straight ahead. They would only get one chance at this, and he'd be damned if he gave it up simply because he was in a little pain.

"You ready in there?" Baily called out from the LOCCENT.

"Ready," Aleksis replied. "Locked and loaded, as you might say."

"This is a bad idea," another tech muttered. "Not to mention we're going to be in a load of trouble when Choi and Hansen find out about this…"

"If you keep your big yap shut, no one'll know," another tech snarked. "All right, initializing startup protocols…"

The familiar prickle in his scalp and spine began, like a thousand ants had invaded his suit. He took a deep breath and raised his chin, closing his eyes, letting it happen. Beside him he sensed rather than saw Sasha do the same, mirroring his movements almost exactly. Even outside the neural handshake they fit together seamlessly, moving as one. Even wounded and out of commission – and even without Cherno to complete the team – the two of them remained perfectly in synch.

"Drifting systems are go," the first tech noted. "Got some weird spikes in the power supply, though… are we sure this is safe?"

"Since when was drifting ever safe?" someone muttered, then subsided before Aleksis could identify them.

"Everything's as ready as it's going to be," Baily noted, though with a great deal of hesitance in her voice. "All right… initiating neural handshake."

The Kaidonovskys had entered the drift so many times that slipping into it now was effortless, an act that was nearly second nature. The rush of emotions and memory that always accompanied the handshake washed over them, a maelstrom of images and feelings… tears coursing down his cheeks as he stood by his sobbing mother and stone-faced father at his brother's funeral… blood trickling down her upper lip as she sat in the headmaster's office, fresh from delivering a thrashing to the school's bully… the smell of fish and saltwater as he stood on the deck of his father's fishing boat… the sound of her father's favorite rock songs playing from the beat-up stereo system that he nonetheless treasured…

Other memories joined their own, memories of more recent times… Baba Yaga going down under electricity-laced fists… twinges of sensation that could have been pain as technicians soldered something in the cockpit… the tickle of water from a pressure washer brushing against thick armor… a vision of a horrifically grinning face as fire and agony invaded every sense…

Aleksis gave a laugh of mingled triumph and relief, never minding the tears – real tears, not the memory of them – that poured down his cheeks. "Cherno!"

A trickle of emotion was the reply – exhaustion, pain, but an echo of relief. _You're here…_

Sasha choked back a sob. "Cherno… you're still there…"

 _Never… never left._ The reply was faint, but still there. _With you… in the drift. Always with you._

"Then… then it was you," Sasha gasped. "Who pulled us back. You saved us."

 _Didn't want you to leave…_ Was it his imagination, or was the voice growing fainter? _Was scared… but you're here now… everything's okay…_

Aleksis reached a hand out, as if he could physically draw the presence back from wherever it was receding. "Cherno… stay with us. Please."

_Can't… so tired… so low on power…_

"Fight it!" Sasha cried. "We'll help you. You brought us back when we wanted to die… it's our turn to help you."

 _Will… will try..._ The feeling that flooded the drift could best be described as a smile. _If I can't, though… at least I'm not alone…_

Aleksis growled and threw every ounce of energy he could into the drift, trying to will Cherno's presence to stay with them. Sasha, too, focused all her mental and emotional strength into trying to catch and hold the Jaeger's… spirit? Soul? Neither of them knew precisely what Cherno possessed that gave him some semblance of life, but neither was willing to let it go, either.

Cherno's intelligence flickered briefly, like a light bulb on the verge of going out. _I can't… fading fast…_

"You will NOT leave us!" Sasha shouted, her cheeks glistening with tears. "You're our son, and we won't lose you!"

 _Can't hold on any longer…_ A feeling of regret pulsed through the drift. _L-love you both… will miss you…_

Aleksis opened his mouth to let out a desperate cry of rage and fear… only for it to suddenly morph into a scream of pain. Just as Cherno's presence seemed to flicker again, something hot and white and blindingly brilliant surged through the drift, setting every nerve in his body on fire. Beside him, Sasha screamed as well, writhing within the harness. Even Cherno seemed to feel it, and the neural handshake shook with his agony.

The burst of burning energy seemed to last for an eternity… then just as abruptly snuffed out. Then the world began to rock crazily around them.

* * *

The technicians would always wonder, after the day had ended, what would have happened had Dr. Gottlieb and Herc Hansen not entered the LOCCENT moments after they had started up the neural handshake with Cherno Alpha's team. Would events have been drastically changed? Or would their presence not have mattered, and what had happened would have happened regardless?

Bailey didn't even see them walk in, too focused on watching the readouts on the various screens. She bit her lip in worry as she studied one screen in particular. Were these energy surges in the drift normal, or a sign of trouble? She had never seen them during Mustang's testing… but maybe they were considered par for the course in the older Jaegers. Plenty of allowances had to be made for the Mark Is and IIs, if she recalled correctly. But surely energy spikes were a cause for alarm even in a Mark I, right?

"What in God's name is going on in here?"

She straightened and turned around. "Dr. Gottlieb!"

Hermann glared back, and Bailey was suddenly struck by how tired he looked. His eyes had the shadowed, slightly glazed look of someone who hadn't been sleeping well, and his hair was rumpled as if he'd been tossing and turning all night. She wondered if something was wrong with Mustang's progress that kept him up at night, or if he'd gotten bad news from home.

"Are you all right, sir?" she ventured.

"Never mind me," he grumbled. "What's going on in here? We're supposed to be doing a test run of Mustang Omega here in half an hour, and I find everyone playing at the controls…"

"It was her idea, sir!" one of the techs insisted, pointing at Bailey.

"Oh, thanks a lot!" she snapped.

"Stop bickering, all of you," grumbled Herc Hansen, stomping in as well. "And explain what's going on in here. If we have to delay that bloody Mark VI's testing and recalibration, Tendo's gonna be annoyed."

Bailey took a deep breath before replying. "Sir, Sasha Kaidonovsky approached me this morning and asked that she and Aleksis be allowed to drift one last time. Something about saying goodbye. They were pretty insistent about it, even when I told them how risky it could be."

Hermann sputtered in shock. "So you saw fit to put civilian lives at risk by letting them drift in a damaged Jaeger?"

"Since when were the Kaidonovskys civilians?" another tech demanded.

"They're out of the Jaeger program, that makes them civilians," Herc pointed out. "And we could have a lawsuit on our hands if they come out of Cherno brain-damaged or worse from a malfunctioning neural handshake. Get this thing shut down right now!"

"Sir, there've been no abnormalities so far…" the tech protested.

"Get it shut down!" Herc snapped, and reached for the power switch.

"Wait!" Bailey reached out to stop him.

She wasn't sure what happened right then. Maybe she'd bumped his arm and made him hit the wrong control. Maybe he'd moved the power switch in the wrong direction. Or maybe it hadn't been his intervention after all, and whatever was occurring inside Cherno Alpha at that moment had simply hit critical mass and set off a chain reaction. It would take a great deal of study and experimentation before anyone knew the truth.

All anyone knew was that several things started happening at once. The consoles began blinking and flickering in alarm as the energy levels in the drift abruptly skyrocketed. An alarm screeched, indicating a critical error in the neural handshake. Outside the LOCCENT, the cables hooked up to Cherno Alpha, powering his systems enough to enable the drift, fountained sparks like an impromptu fireworks show. And cutting through the beeping alarm and the crackling electricity was a far more disturbing sound – the Kaidonovskys' screaming.

"Goddamit!" Herc snapped, backing away from the console as it, too, began spitting sparks. "Someone pull the plug!"

Before anyone could act on his order, another sound drowned out the screams – a metallic groaning that sounded like something enormous beyond measure rumbling to life. Even as Herc, Hermann, and the technicians watched in shock a shudder ran through Cherno Alpha's titanic chassis, the lights in its Conn Pod and the larger, more brilliant floodlights on its chassis suddenly clicking on. The remaining hand spasmed once, then clenched, and the massive legs shifted, sending engineers and mechanics scattering in terror.

No one so much as dared to breathe as the ruined Jaeger shifted first to one side, then the other, struggling to get to its feet. Its severed arm tumbled out of its lap, smashing a supply cart as it hit the ground. Cables and wires snapped like string as it stood, wobbling on shaky legs like a newborn colt trying to stagger to its feet for the first time. One turbine struck a nearby catwalk, snapping it and sending it tilting at a crazy angle – and in the midst of the chaos Bailey briefly had the thought that it was a miracle no one had been standing there at that moment.

"The hell," Herc murmured, going pale beneath his beard.

"It's not supposed to be doing that!" a tech insisted. "The circuitry between the piloting systems and the motor systems was wrecked! There's no way they should be controlling it!"

"Check the diagnostic readout!" Hermann ordered. "There's got to be some kind of explanation! The Kaidonovskys must have rerouted something!"

"They're good, but not THAT good," said Herc, but brought up the diagnostic anyhow. "Someone probably tried to fix Cherno behind our backs… what the bloody hell…"

Under normal circumstances the diagnostic readout would have displayed damages and malfunctions suffered during the course of a battle, though occasionally it could be used to bring up the Jaeger's code so a programmer could work out any bugs in the system. This was neither a damage readout nor code, however. Text was rapidly spilling onto the readout, in a Cyrillic text Bailey couldn't make out. That didn't make any sense – all Jaegers were programmed in English, even if they came from other countries…

"My god." That was Hermann... and he no longer looked annoyed at the delay of Mustang's testing. He looked stunned, almost terrified… but awed as well.

"What's it say?" demanded Herc. "Someone translate, I can't read Russian!"

"I can't see," Hermann replied softly.

"It's right there, how can you not see it?" Herc snapped.

"That is precisely what it says," Hermann explained. "'I can't see.' Over and over. But it's interspersed with other words… 'help'… 'mother' and 'father'… 'scared'…"

The Jaeger flailed, almost falling over, but managed to regain its footing before a disastrous tumble could occur. It's remaining arm struck the broken catwalk again, sending a section of it hurtling toward the ground. A high-pitched whine came from its engines, and for a moment Bailey thought it sounded almost like a crying child…

"Oh my god," she gasped as the enormity of what was happening hit her all at once. "It's…"

"Sentient," Hermann finished for her. "Somehow… impossibly… Cherno Alpha is alive."


	7. A New Life

" _Will you turn that junk down already!"_

_Under normal circumstances, Marshal Terekhov's voice was loud and imposing enough to carry through the Jaeger bay without resorting to a megaphone or loudspeaker. Today, however, his voice was little more than a thread of sound woven through the cacophony that filled Cherno Alpha's hangar, ringing from the retractable ceiling and pulsing strongly enough to make one's bones vibrate. Even the Jaegers' armor seemed to be rattling slightly in response to the noise, as if they, too, could hear it and were itching to break free from their hangars and flee for a little peace and quiet._

_The targets of the Marshal's ire were oblivious to his demands at the moment – they were tightening bolts on Cherno Alpha's ankle, their heads bobbing ever so slightly in unison to the beat of the music. Terekhov bellowed the order again, but when they didn't respond he sighed in exasperation and made an abrupt gesture toward the LOCCENT. A technician made an adjustment to the controls, and the music cut off._

_Aleksis and Sasha glanced up, at first wearing expressions of irritation. But they spotted Terekhov storming closer and hastily composed themselves, dropping their tools and standing at attention._

" _When I give you an order, I damn well expect it to be followed," he snapped. "And your Jaeger is NOT to serve as your personal sound system."_

" _No one has complained about the music before," Sasha pointed out, smirking slightly._

" _As if you could hear their complaints over this… noise," he muttered. "What IS that racket anyhow? Was there even a tune in there?"_

" _Titanus," Aleksis replied. "Ukrainian hard house band. Their new album,_ See You in the Breach _."_

" _You have no objections to other Rangers sharing their music with the entire hangar," Sasha pointed out with a bit of a scowl. "Why is it so wrong when we do it?"_

" _There is a difference between bringing in your own stereo or personal music system and using your Jaeger to blast it loud enough to be heard at the Breach," Terekhov retorted._

" _Maybe we SHOULD play that stuff at the Breach," a mechanic who probably judged himself to be out of punching distance laughed. "Make an effective Kaiju repellent."_

_Sasha's normally pretty features wrinkled in a scowl, but she didn't argue. "Very well. We will turn the volume down from now on."_

" _See that you do." He nodded sharply. "Ukrainian hard house… bah. Don't think much of it if every song sounds the same."_

_Aleksis raised an eyebrow. "It shouldn't. Not every band sounds the same… and even we don't listen to ALL hard house."_

" _Could have fooled me. I've been listening to the junk you've been playing for twenty minutes, and I could have sworn it was just the same three-minute loop." He stalked off, muttering to himself. "For God's sake, why couldn't we have gotten Rangers who like some honest rock for once…"_

_Once their commander was out of earshot, Sasha and Aleksis shared a look. It had happened again. Not the complaint regarding their choice and volume of music (though this wasn't their first complaint, or even their first complaint coming from the Marshal), but the fact that the same song had gotten stuck on repeat in Cherno's speakers._

_It wasn't as if they were the only Rangers who played music in their Jaegers, even if their commander liked to act as if they were. They had met a pair of Jaegers from the Philippines who liked to pipe, of all things, Celtic music into the audio feeds whenever they set out to confront a Kaiju, claiming it helped them calm their nerves and maintain the neural handshake without hiccups. American Rangers often bragged about listening to classic rock anthems or thrash metal in their Conn Pods to get pumped up for a fight, and went into battle still blasting "Eye of the Tiger" or "Living On a Prayer" on a regular basis. And it was rumored the pilots of one of the Japanese Jaegers, Echo Saber, had been members of a J-Pop band before becoming Rangers, and liked to play their own songs in battle._

_But despite hearing stories about their quirk of bringing their favorite tunes to a fight being shared among other Rangers, they had yet to hear of any other set of Rangers having this particular issue – that of their Jaeger apparently developing its own taste in music._

_At first they had thought it was an issue with their music player – the iPod 7 was infamous for being obnoxiously buggy, after all. But the glitch continued even after changing players. The music would progress normally for awhile, but when it hit one of a particular handful of songs, it would get stuck on repeat._

_Rather than irritate them, however, the quirk only made Sasha and Aleksis all the more curious. They began keeping track of which songs would get repeated, and soon had compiled a short list – "Baba O' Riley" by The Who, "Separate Ways" by Journey, "Through the Fire and Flames" by Dragonforce, and just about anything by Titanus or Nightwish, among others. And though it took them a little longer to notice, they soon realized that there were songs in their collection that somehow got skipped over whenever they plugged their music player into Cherno's speakers, such as most songs by Queen or Black Velvet Rabbits._

_Naturally they kept their findings silent. If they had told the Marshal that the reason they were hearing Titanus' "Red Star Rising" on an endless loop was because it was Cherno's favorite song and he insisted on listening to it fifty times, he would have them shipped off for a psychiatric evaluation on the spot. For now, it would remain a private joke between the two of them. Or rather, the three of them._

" _Is he gone?" asked Sasha._

" _He's gone," Aleksis replied._

_Sasha smiled, and she patted Cherno's leg. "It's safe, love. Just play it softer for now."_

_As if on cue, the music started up again. This time, though, it wasn't Ukrainian hard house playing from the Jaeger's speakers, but Nightwish's "Walking In the Air." If any of the maintenance crews or other Ranger teams noticed the change in music, they gave no sign of it._

" _Good lad," Aleksis murmured, giving the Jaeger's foot a fond pat before returning to his work._

_Sasha might have imagined it, but it almost felt as if Cherno was smiling through their shared neural bond. And she thought she detected a hint of smugness in there – a feeling that he was going to enjoy his favorite songs for however long he wanted, and there wasn't anything anyone could do to stop him._

* * *

Raleigh and Mako had just sat down for a quick lunch, hoping to get a bite to eat before going to watch the Rossi's first neural handshake in Mustang Omega's Conn Pod, when Newt charged into the mess hall. The Kaiju biologist looked somewhere between eccentric and deranged on the best of days, but right now there was a wildness to his eyes that sent a pang of fear through Raleigh's gut. He dropped his half-eaten sandwich and stood, ready to… what? He wasn't sure, though from Newt's hysterical expression he got the feeling he'd be leaping to some sort of action very soon.

"Dr. Geizler…" began Mako.

"Y'guys, get to the hangar, quick!" Newt shrieked, and he unceremoniously plunked the load in his arms – a package of meat scraps and a canister with some sort of Kaiju giblets floating around in it – onto their table. "Bad juju's goin' down!"

"Bad what?" Despite being proficient in English, Mako still missed the occasional slang word, especially given Newt's tendency to make up new slang terms right and left.

"What is it?" asked Raleigh. "Kaiju? So soon?" They didn't even have a functional Jaeger ready! Well, Mustang was technically ready, but you could only throw a completely fresh team into the cockpit of an untested Jaeger and fling them directly into combat so many times before your luck ran out.

"Ya just gotta see this!" Newt's eyes glittered with a sort of panicked glee, as if he couldn't decide whether to be excited or terrified. "This is just… nuts! Oh man… is this what that chick was talking about, did she foresee this…" He bolted out, then dashed back in. "Come on already! What are you waiting for? Christmas?"

Raleigh made a mental note to ask about "that chick" later and hurried out after him. Mako got up and followed close behind.

"What is it?" she asked as they ran for the hangar. "Have they already started the drift sequence?"

"They better not have," Tendo put in – Raleigh hadn't realized the Shatterdome commander had joined them until that moment. "Hermann just radioed me with some garbled mess about Cherno, though."

"The Kaidonovskys got it to move!" Newt exclaimed. "Maybe it's fixable after all!"

"What?" demanded Raleigh. "That's impossible! I've never seen a Jaeger that wrecked get back up on its feet! Even Gipsy needed a complete overhaul before…" He stopped himself. Talking about Gipsy was still too painful – a machine she might have been, but it still felt as if part of him had been torn away at her destruction.

"I have seen it," Mako replied. "If the Rangers are determined enough. Perhaps the Kaidonovskys did what we couldn't. Perhaps they worked a miracle."

The four of them burst into the LOCCENT to find utter chaos in the hangar. Cherno Alpha was indeed on its feet – barely. The ruined Jaeger wobbled precariously from side to side, struggling to keep its balance, its arm outstretched and smashing through catwalks and scaffolding. Supply carts and maintenance drones lay scattered all over the floor, many smashed to pieces, and sparks flared from torn cables and snapped wiring all over the place. The maintenance crews were fleeing in panic, and the few technicians who remained behind were pressed flat against the walls as if that would somehow grant them safety.

"What the hell…" Tendo demanded softly.

"Christ," Raleigh breathed. "The Kaidonovskys couldn't handle the neural handshake in a damaged Jaeger." He'd never heard of an experienced Ranger team suddenly chasing the RABIT during a routine drift, but then, no one had ever tried to drift with such a severely damaged Jaeger before.

Hermann shook his head, and Raleigh realized the scientist had gone white as a sheet. "There's nothing wrong with the handshake, sir."

"Then kindly tell me what in hell is wrong here!" Tendo snapped, his usual businesslike manner gone. A vein was pulsing in his temple, and there was a tight look to his features that Raleigh hadn't seen since… well, since the battle that had taken out Crimson and Cherno in the first place.

Outside the LOCCENT, a weird groaning wail rang through the bay, and Cherno shuddered so hard its plating rattled. It took another step, remaining arm outstretched like a blind man groping for something to guide him, only for its foot to catch in a snarl of tangled cables and machinery. Bailey shrieked as it stumbled, making a grab for the closest object in an attempt to keep its balance – Crimson Typhoon. The scarlet Jaeger shook under the blow, tilting dangerously to one side as Cherno pulled itself back upright.

"Pull the plug!" Tendo ordered, taking command when it became obvious no one was going to answer him. "Cut off its power and make sure the Kaidonovskys come safely out of the drift! Then get them out of there."

"We've already pulled the plug!" Herc protested. "It's movin' on its own!"

"That's impossible!" Newt protested.

"It's possible, sir," Hermann replied. "We're dealing with a self-governing being now, not a Jaeger."

"You can't possibly mean…"

"That Cherno's alive?" asked Bailey. "That he's sentient? If he's not, how do you explain that?" And she jabbed a finger at the readout, which was spilling out an endless stream of Cyrillic text.

Tendo leaned in close, mouth moving silently as he skimmed through the text. Then he abruptly thumped down into the nearest chair, going pale. "Jesus…"

"What is it saying?" Mako demanded, her eyes flicking over the text.

"Cherno's calling out for help," Hermann explained. "And… it is calling out for its parents. Its Rangers, I'm assuming is what it means."

Her jaw dropped. "I-incredible… just incredible…"

"This can't be happening," Tendo murmured.

"It's happenin'," Herc retorted, "an' while y'all are rubberneckin' at the thing, it's destroying the Shatterdome!"

Raleigh opened his mouth to say something, but found himself at a complete loss of words. He could only stare at the mangled titan before him as it staggered into a wall, letting out another inhuman wail. So many times he had joked with other Rangers about their Jaegers having their own personality quirks, even fantasized about Gipsy being alive and aware… but never had he dreamed that he would see a Jaeger walking about under its own power.

Cherno stumbled again, and fell heavily on to its knees and remaining hand. The impact shook the LOCCENT and made everyone inside stagger. Another wail filled the hangar, followed by a sputtering sound like a massive engine coughing… or a metallic giant sobbing.

"Dammit, get this thing shut down!" Herc demanded. "There's got to be some kinda kill switch-"

"No!" Mako's eyes flashed as she turned to glare at the elder Ranger. "You have no right to do that!"

"It's either the Jaeger or the entire damn base, girl!' Herc barked. "Live or not, that thing's outta control! We gotta shut it down before it kills someone!"

"He is only scared!" she retorted.

"How can something that huge be scared of anything?" Newt demanded, unable to take his eyes off the enormous mech.

Before anyone could respond, a voice sounded over the radio feed between the LOCCENT and Cherno's Conn Pod – Sasha's. In all the excitement, everyone had forgotten the Kaidonovskys were still inside the Jaeger. Raleigh wondered if they were okay… or if Cherno's sudden transformation from a piloted mecha to a living creature had overwhelmed their minds. Had their consciousnesses fused together to form Cherno's new mind, or had it – he – hijacked their brains to gain his own sentience? Every possibility seemed worse than the last…

But Sasha's voice didn't sound panicked or in pain. It sounded peaceful, almost soothing, as if she were trying to calm a hysterical child. He couldn't understand the words, but the tone was evident all the same. She was all right… and trying to salvage the situation.

"No."

It took a moment for Raleigh to realize Tendo hadn't been answering his thoughts. "No what?"

"We won't shut him down." Tendo had scraped together some measure of calm by now, and he was regarding the mangled Jaeger with interest… fascination even. "We wait."

"Wait while it rips Crimson and Mustang apart and comes after the LOCCENT next?" demanded Herc. "There's a mind there, sure, but it ain't sane…"

"We wait," Tendo insisted firmly. "The Kaidonovskys are talking to him. We have to trust that they know Cherno well enough to talk some sense into him. Wait, and see what they do."

A hush fell over the LOCCENT, and everyone moved as close to the windows as they dared, watching and waiting.

* * *

Under normal circumstances the drift was a refuge – thoughts and emotions swirled deep, but the surface remained tranquil. Sasha and Aleksis had grown adept at keeping stray memories and feelings from breaking the calm, and as such they were able to maintain their connection for far longer than most Rangers. If it weren't for their physical needs, they believed they could have maintained their neural handshake indefinitely, content with simply each other and Cherno.

Now it was bedlam. Pain and fear swamped the neural handshake, searing through their nerves and staining the world of the drift bright red. One arm felt entirely numb save the shoulder joint, which burned as if someone had thrust a red-hot brand against it, and their backs and shoulders blazed in agony as if chunks of their skin and flesh had been gouged out. Bursts of memory flashed before their eyes – teeth, claws, glowing blue acid, ice-cold waves crashing over them – alternated with a suffocating, silent blackness.

Cherno was still with them… and he was utterly terrified.

"Cherno!" Sasha cried out. "Cherno, we are here!"

A horrific wail, like the sound of tearing metal, was their answer.

"Calm down, Cherno!" Aleksis barked. "Cherno, hold still! You are going to hurt yourself!"

 _HELP ME._ His mental voice was stronger than ever, but ringing with terror. _DARK… IT'S DARK. HURTS… CAN'T SEE, CAN'T HEAR… HELP, PLEASE HELP…_

The Conn Pod rocked wildly around them as Cherno staggered upright, and the Kaidonovskys would have fallen had it not been for the control mechanisms holding them upright. A burst of alarm passed through the drift, but this time it came from the Rangers. Cherno should not have been able to do that… he could only move if they assisted him, but now he was standing on his own, albeit clumsily.

"My god," murmured Aleksis.

Had this occurred under any other circumstances, Sasha would have been thrilled beyond words. Here was proof, honest and solid, that their Cherno was truly alive, that his sentience wasn't simply a trick of their minds. No one would dare laugh at their claims now, or think their devotion to their Jaeger eccentric and foolish. But her fear for Cherno overtook her joy.

"Cherno… you must calm down," she said, her voice soft but firm. "You will worsen your damages."

 _DARK… QUIET… TOO QUIET…_ His voice quivered, and his claustrophobic terror swept over them in a wave, threatening to suck them into the black and silent prison his mind now inhabited. _HELP ME… MOTHER… FATHER… HELP, PLEASE…_

 _Mother and Father…_ A burst of pleasure filled her at that. He thought of them as his parents… But she pushed that aside for now. There would be time for rejoicing later.

"Cherno, calm down," she urged. "Please… we are here. I promise you, you are safe."

A jarring thud rocked the Conn Pod and jolted both of them painfully, making their bones vibrate from the impact. Cherno had fallen to all fours (threes?), but he didn't attempt to get up again. His entire chassis shook with pain and fear, and though the viewscreens of his Conn Pod clearly showed the bay floor, the horrible sense of blackness remained in their minds.

Sasha understood… and tears welled up in her eyes. All the high-tech visual and audio sensors built into his body had been designed for the benefit of the Rangers, piping sensory input directly to the viewscreens in the Conn Pod and the headsets built into the Rangers' armor. There was nothing in place that would allow Cherno to see or hear for himself… and now that he had gained full control of his body, he was left senseless and terrified.

"It's all right," she assured him, and reached her hand out, wishing she could touch and console him. "Cherno, we are here. We won't leave you."

The great body around them keened in fear, but the terror in their minds ebbed slightly. _Don't leave me… please, I don't want to be alone…_

"We will not leave you," Aleksis vowed, blinking back tears of his own. "You did not leave us during our moment of crisis. We would never leave you."

_It's still so dark… I can't see… I could always see when you were with me, why can't I see now?_

"It will be all right," Sasha promised. "Cherno… look through our eyes. We will find a way to fix your sight, but until then, let us be your eyes."

Hesitation… uncertainty… then finally a rush of relief as the blackness drained away. Something in the back of Sasha's mind tingled, a strange pressure she had never noticed before, but she shook it off. She had no idea if letting Cherno have access to part of her body like this was safe, but Cherno had given them control of his own body too many times to count. The least she could do in return was loan him her sight for a little while.

_Don't leave me… please, stay with me…_

"We would never leave you," Aleksis repeated. "Cherno… you are our son. We would do anything for you."

_Promise?_

"Promise."

Again the Conn Pod shifted, and the world righted itself as Cherno pushed himself upright. He sat there on the floor of the Jaeger bay, rocking slightly back and forth, keening softly as Sasha and Aleksis continued to talk to him, keeping their voices soothing and gentle. Fear still tinged the drift, but it no longer threatened to overwhelm the three of them, and it continued to fade away as they consoled him.

"Aleksis, Sasha, respond. Repeat, Aleksis, Sasha, if you can hear me, respond."

They exchanged the briefest of looks, then Aleksis nodded and switched from their native tongue to English. "Speaking."

"Thank god, you're all right," Tendo sighed. "What the hell is going on in there?"

"Cherno is scared," he replied simply. "He woke up unable to see or hear, and it scared him. Sasha is keeping him calm."

Silence. Sasha kept up the steady stream of chatter to keep Cherno distracted, but inside she felt a twinge of irritation. Would they continue to deny that he lived, even after all this?

"Whatever you're doing, Sasha, keep it up," Tendo said at last. "It seems to be helping… him. We were going to shut down the neural handshake …"

"Do not shut it down!" Aleksis snapped. "We need to be here for him!"

Tendo sighed. "Fine. I don't like putting you in danger like this, but it seems we have no choice if we're going to keep Cherno Alpha under control. Now… what under the sun just happened in there?"

* * *

Tendo supposed that eventually, they were going to have to inform the PPDC at large about this new development. He suspected that their reaction would be one of two things – ordering Cherno Alpha terminated and scrapped, or keeping the entire episode under wraps and slapping the Shatterdome with a gag order. Perhaps both. He rather doubted any sort of gag order would keep this from leaking out to the general public, however, and given that pro-Jaeger activity was at an all-time high in the wake of the strike on the Breach, it was bound to cause an uproar.

He would worry about how to phrase this to the council later, though. Right now he had a science team and several Rangers to calm down.

The moment he stepped into the conference room he was assailed by what felt like dozens of voices, each demanding to know what was going on and what was going to be done about the current situation. Newt sounded excited to the point of being nearly hysterical, while Hermann sounded angry, as if it offended his sensibilities to have a Jaeger suddenly come to life on his watch. Lance, like Newt, seemed nothing but giddy at the news, while his sister looked and sounded exasperated that this issue was going to delay their first drift with Mustang. Everyone else wore an expression of mingled shock, wonder, and just a little fear.

When the chaos showed no sign of diminishing on its own, Tendo shot Hercules a look. The ex-Ranger sighed, then raised his voice and bellowed over the din.

"Everyone just SHUT UP!"

The babble of voices petered out, and with a thankful nod toward Herc Tendo went to sit down.

"I know we're all a little shocked right now," Tendo told the gathered scientists and Rangers. "But rest assured that we have the situation under control."

"How can a situation like THIS be under control?" demanded Hermann.

"The Kaidonovskys are keeping Cherno Alpha calm," he explained, "and Bailey and the other technicians are monitoring the situation. They'll let us know if anything changes."

"Is it true?" asked Lance, looking like a little boy convinced he had seen Santa Claus. "Is Cherno Alpha really… alive?"

Tendo nodded at Hermann, deferring an explanation to him. Hermann rolled his eyes but answered the new Ranger.

"Yes, the Mark I Jaeger is, as far as we can tell, sentient and acting under its own power," Hermann replied. "It is operating without being controlled by its Rangers, albeit rather erratically. The good news is that so long as the Sasha and Aleksis maintain their neural interface with Cherno Alpha, chances are good that they can keep it stable for the near future."

"The bad news?" asked Raleigh.

"The bad news is that according to Sasha and Aleksis, Cherno Alpha is functionally blind, deaf, and mute unless it is in direct link with its Rangers," he answered in an aggrieved tone. "Its sensory systems…"

" _His_ sensory systems," Mako corrected.

"Excuse me?"

"If Cherno is truly alive, call him by the right pronouns," Mako insisted. "It is demeaning to call him an _it."_

Hermann grimaced at being corrected by the young Ranger, but continued. " _His_ sensory systems are programmed to deliver information directly to its – _his_ – Rangers, and not to the Jaeger itself… himself. Without the link to his Rangers, he's virtually helpless. Add that to his previous damages, which we still haven't fixed…"

"We haven't fixed them because it would have cost more than it was worth to fix him," Herc pointed out. "Could've built an entire new Jaeger for what it would have cost to repair him."

"But things have changed!" Raleigh pointed out. "This isn't just a wrecked Jaeger anymore – this is something alive, that can think for itself. Are we really going to just let him suffer because it's expensive to fix him? He's got to be in pain and scared… we can't just leave him like that."

"You're right," Tendo replied, "but the biggest question is what do we do now? Yes, we can fix him… but what do we do with him afterwards? There's absolutely no protocol for a situation like this. And we can't leave the Kaidonovskys in the drift forever – sooner or later they will have to come out, and that leaves Cherno in worse straits."

"Isn't there something we can install to give him sight and hearing?" asked Raleigh. "Cameras, recording equipment… hell, even some kind of speech software?"

"How do we even know if they'll even work?" Herc countered. "You can't just stick cameras into his Conn Pod and hope for the best – they've gotta be hooked up to somethin'. An' as far as I know, we never gave Jaegers the equivalent of a brain. That was always the Rangers' job, to do the thinkin' for them."

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" asked Raleigh. "We can't just leave him to suffer!"

Tendo took a deep breath, hating himself for what he was about to suggest. "You're right. We cannot, in good conscience, allow a sentient creature to live in agony and fear. Which is why, in the long run, it might be best to do as Hansen suggested in the first place."

Mako gasped. "You can't…"

"We can't just kill him!" Lance protested. "He just came to life!"

"What kind of a life can he hope to live?" Tendo asked, keeping his voice level as possible. "In the long run, is it fair to make him live, blind and in pain, simply so we can study him? Or is it better for us to be… merciful, and not prolong his suffering?"

Mako's eyes flashed in shock and anger. Raleigh and Lance, too, looked angry at the suggestion.

"And as much as I hate to make this a financial issue… no, we don't have the funds to fix Cherno Alpha. All our remaining funds were spent repairing Crimson Typhoon and designing and constructing Mustang Omega. Even the proceeds from selling Cherno Alpha to the Sydney museum… which will need repaid now, as the deal was for a decommissioned Jaeger, not a sentient one."

"So you'll kill Cherno just so we have a corpse to give to the museum?" asked Newt. "Geez, I thought Hermann was cold…"

"He is only trying to think logically!" Hermann snapped. "No, none of us like the thought of putting the Jaeger down – a phrase I never thought I would have to say – but when we haven't the resources to repair him, what choice do we have?"

"Pentecost had resources," Raleigh pointed out. "Why not make use of those?"

"Most of those resources dried up after the Breach was closed," Herc replied. "Let's face it – we're out of options."

"No," Mako said, her voice full of steel. "We are not. The Marshal would NOT have given up on Cherno. He would have done everything possible to help him."

"The Marshal isn't here," Tendo said gently. "We're doing the best we can…"

"He may not be here… but I am." Her eyes flashed determinedly. "I knew him better than anyone else. And I know how he would think in this situation."

"Even he couldn't work a miracle without the resources…" Hermann insisted.

"He would have FOUND the resources," she retorted. "Tendo, I know you are very busy with Mustang Omega, and with finding new Rangers for Crimson Typhoon. Will you let me take charge of Cherno Alpha?"

Tendo hesitated a moment… but only a moment. While it went against protocol to put such a young and inexperienced Ranger in charge of something this big, he had to admit that she had valid points. She knew how Pentecost had thought, and knew more about what sort of channels and resources he worked with than anyone else. And she had done a masterful job of restoring and upgrading Gipsy Danger, surpassing even Pentecost's expectations. And perhaps most importantly, she was bright and tough, but compassionate as well. If anyone could take this mess of a situation and turn it around, it was her.

"Very well," he sighed. "You and Raleigh will be in charge of restoring Cherno Alpha. Hermann, Newt, I want the two of you assigned to him as well – the more we can learn about what made him sentient and why, the better."

Newt nodded eagerly. Hermann just looked pained.

"Use whatever resources you can find – WITHOUT dipping into the funds needed to finish Crimson and Mustang. And above all, keep detailed records of every step of the process, and every finding you make. I have no idea what's going to come of all this… but whatever it is, I have a feeling it's going to change the Jaeger program forever."


	8. Rebirth

_No one had any way of knowing that a routine mission – if a dual-Jaeger defense against a Kaiju assault could be called "routine" in any way, shape, or form – would end in tragedy, and the first devastating blow against the Russian Jaeger program._

_Cherno Alpha and Eden Assassin stood knee-deep in the churning water, watching the Category-3 Kaiju dubbed Katschei slink back and forth before them. The monster's double-set of glinting yellow eyes never left the two mecha as it paced, restless as a caged panther, doubtless looking for some kind of opening to charge through. Unlike the dinosaur-like build of other Kaiju, Katschei was built low and lean, walking on all fours and with heavily muscled hindquarters designed for leaping and running. A spined ridge ran from the crest of its brow to the dip of its spine, and the lashing tail behind it terminated in a scissor-like claw._

_Cherno remained still, legs braced apart and arms spread in a wrestler's stance as it waited for the inevitable charge. Eden was far more restless, dancing from foot to foot like a boxer, making mock punches at the air as if daring the beast to attack._

" _Save your energy, Eden," Sasha advised over the radio. "It will attack soon enough."_

_Sergei's voice crackled over the feed. "What's it waiting for, an engraved invitation? The waiting is the hardest part."_

" _Maybe having two Jaegers here is unnerving it," Boris replied. "Maybe it'll turn around and go back to the Breach if we scare it enough."_

" _Don't bet on it," Aleksis advised._

_Eden finally stilled, though it kept its fists raised for the inevitable fight. A bronze-colored Mark II Jaeger that commonly inhabited the hanger across from Cherno Alpha's, it was sleeker and more lightly armored than Cherno, built more for speed and agility than brute strength. Whereas Cherno was designed as a powerhouse, made for taking and dishing out abuse, Eden's strength lay in being able to strike a blow and then evade a retaliating attack. Its gauntlets housed retractable hooked blades, like a cat's claws, for ripping apart any Kaiju unfortunate enough to get too close, and powerful flame cannons jutted from each shoulder._

_Aleksis snorted lightly. The Shatterdome might consider Eden an improvement over Cherno, but he knew better. Flashy weapons and quick moves were no match for power and dogged determination in his mind._

" _Our mind," Sasha corrected, flashing him a grin._

_He smiled back. "Let's show Sergei and Boris how it's done, yes?"_

" _We can hear you, you know," Sergei complained._

_Katschei evidently decided it had enough of waiting, and it gathered itself for a leap. Cherno held his ground, fists raised, but Eden danced to the side as the Kaiju surged forward, ramming into the Mark I with brutal speed. Cherno dug his feet into the sea floor and held firm, slamming both fists into Katschei's shoulders and shoving it back. Katschei screamed and arched its back, spines flaring like raised hackles._

_Eden dashed in at that moment, blades out and at the ready. Katschei screamed again as the steel "claws" sliced gashes twenty feet long in its side, glowing blue ichor sizzling where it dripped into the water. It lashed out, tail pincer snapping at the Mark II, but Eden leaped aside, evading with ease._

_Cherno drove a fist into Katschei's shoulder, and Sasha and Aleksis grinned in triumph at the crack of bone breaking. But the Kaiju cut their celebration short, lashing out and grabbing Cherno's arm in its jaws. The Jaeger yanked his arm back, trying to jerk it from their attacker's grip, but Katschei hung on._

" _Hold on, Cherno!" shouted Boris. "We're coming!"_

" _We've got this!" Aleksis shouted back, bringing Cherno's other fist around to clobber Katschei upside the head. The Kaiju blinked, stunned by the blow, but didn't let go. Instead it arched its spinal ridge again, powerful muscles along the shoulders and back contracting…_

_Flashes of pain spiked through the drift, and an alarm sounded inside Cherno's Conn Pod. A computerized voice, oddly calm given the circumstances, spoke up, accompanied by a livid warning glowing scarlet on the readout._

" _HULL BREACHED. REACTOR DAMAGE DETECTED. LEFT SHOULDER SERVOS DAMAGED. LEFT THIGH SERVOS DAMAGED."_

_Sasha swore long and creatively. "Those spikes are projectiles! It shot at Cherno!"_

_Aleksis spotted the gaps in Katschei's spinal ridge, and anger roiled in his gut. "You'll pay for that, you bastard. Eden, give us a hand here!"_

_Silence. Cherno shifted, giving his Rangers a better view of the other Jaeger. Eden Assassin stood fifty feet away, frozen in a crouching pose as if about to spring. Why wasn't it moving? Damn it all, had Boris and Sergei choked? This wasn't their first engagement, they should know what to expect by now, and yet here they were freezing like rookies…_

_Then Aleksis saw the spines buried in Eden's Conn Pod and chest, and with a sickening clench of his innards he realized it wasn't fear that kept Eden from moving. The Mark II would not be coming to help them; they were on their own._

_A blast of emotion filled the drift, almost overwhelming the Kaidonovskys. Shock, horror, grief, rage… it swamped the neural handshake and made the entire Jaeger tremble with the force of it. A metallic roar rose from Cherno's reactor – a side effect of the damage? Or something else, something far more primal?_

_Without thinking Sasha and Aleksis moved in tandem, driving Cherno's fist repeatedly into Katschei's skull and chest. Over and over the blows rained down, shattering bone, pulping internal organs, sending rivers of acidic blue blood into the ocean and making the waters practically boil with it. The Kaiju made a token effort to fight back, claws scraping at Cherno's chassis, but at the fifth blow it shuddered once and went limp._

_The Kaidonovskys delivered several more blows, both to ensure the beast stayed dead and simply out of sheer rage. Then they let the corpse sink below the waves, wading toward Eden as fast as Cherno's damaged leg would allow. By this time Eden had collapsed to its knees, and was listing to one side as if about to fall over._

" _Boris, Sergei!" Sasha shouted. "If you can hear us, respond!"_

_No answer. The Mark II tilted off-balance and began to slump into the water, but Cherno's arms shot out, catching it before it could fall. Its Conn Pod was dark save the flurries of sparks that burst out at random intervals, and they could make out no movement or activity… no sign that Eden's Rangers were even alive._

_Aleksis wanted to be sick. They hadn't been close to Boris and Sergei – the two Rangers, brothers from St. Petersburg, had been notoriously private, keeping to themselves and not eager to make friends – but to lose comrades like this, in such a sudden and random manner, was a shock. There had always been that feeling that, so long as they were partnered with Cherno, they were invincible, protected from all harm… but seeing a random blow take down a fellow Jaeger like this shattered that sense of invulnerability._

_Something rumbled ominously in Eden's chassis, and the Jaeger's chest began to glow with a hellish red tint._

" _Get away from there!" The radio call from the Shatterdome was urgent, almost hysterical. "Those spines ruptured Eden's coolant tanks! It's going to blow!"_

" _Drop Eden!" Sasha shouted, and she strained at the controls. "Cherno, drop him! We have to get away!"_

_A low groan issued from Cherno's servos, and Aleksis swore it felt as if the Jaeger was resisting their efforts to direct him. But at last, he dropped Eden and backpedaled, stumbling toward the shore. And not a moment too soon – a resounding BOOM drove Cherno to his knees as Eden detonated behind them._

_Grief filled the drift, so heavy Aleksis could hardly breathe. Memories crowded into his mind – conversations shared, stories of Kaiju encounters exchanged, abilities and battle scars compared. Images of Eden Assassin flashed before their eyes… but not Eden Assassin as just another mecha, but as a being, one with a cocky, daredevil attitude and a wicked sense of humor, who had teased Cherno endlessly for being older and slower but had nonetheless accepted him as…_

" _Oh Cherno," Sasha murmured. "Why did you never tell us he was your friend?"_

_Cherno groaned in response._

" _Oh Cherno… I am so sorry."_

_The Jaeger remained on his knees, a low keen issuing from his damaged engines as he grieved the only way he knew how. Above, helicopters began to circle like vultures, waiting to collect what remained of Eden Assassin and carry the grieving Cherno back to the Shatterdome, heedless of the Jaeger's despair._

_As terrible as that day was, it marked a turning point in the Kaidonovskys' understanding of Cherno and his kin. They had never stopped to consider that Cherno may not unique among Jaegers… but if Eden had also possessed some degree of sentience, what if there were others?_

* * *

Mako was like her foster father in one respect – when she was given a cause, she dedicated every ounce of her energy to it. She had set herself to rebuilding and upgrading Gipsy Danger with bulldog determination, not only organizing and planning virtually the entire project but picking up a wrench or a soldering iron to join in the heavy labor herself. And despite Pentecost's efforts to discourage her, she dove into her Ranger training with the same determination, spending hours in the simulator and poring over every scrap of information she could scrounge. She did allow herself moments to relax, knowing that she would do no one any good by burning herself out, but she wouldn't allow herself to accept anything less than her absolute best.

Restoring Cherno Alpha would be no different, she decided. And though she had no idea where this project would take her, she was determined to give it her all. The Mark I deserved no less than her best.

Mako hopped off the transport before it had even come to a complete stop and jogged the rest of the way toward the Jaeger, ignoring Raleigh and Hermann as they shouted for her to wait up for them. Cherno was still on his knees, rocking back and forth and uttering an eerie keen that echoed through the Jaeger bay. The sight was unnerving, but she didn't slow down. Somehow, she knew that despite his distress, Cherno wouldn't hurt her. He had spent virtually all his existence defending humanity; he wasn't about to start lashing out at them now.

She reached up and touched her earpiece, adjusting it to the Conn Pod's frequency. Sasha's voice came through clear and strong… and Mako almost smiled. She was singing softly, the words in Russian but the meaning still perfectly understandable.

"Aleksis? Can you hear me?"

"I am here." Aleksis' voice, strong and deep, was curiously soft with exhaustion. "Good gods… now I know how a parent feels when they stay up all night with a sick child."

As far as comparisons went, that one wasn't entirely off the mark, Mako supposed. "Are you two all right?"

"We are tired, but all right. Cherno is still scared, but not as much as before."

Mako nodded. "How much longer do you think you can hold the neural handshake with him?"

Aleksis was silent a moment. Immediately Mako felt a pang of worry at that. Normally the Russian Rangers were entirely confident in their ability to hold a drift as long as was necessary. If he had doubts about their abilities…

"I do not know," he said at last. "We are allowing Cherno to see through our eyes… and that seems to be causing extra strain in the drift. And our strength is not as it once was. We can hold on perhaps an hour more… beyond that, I do not know."

That wasn't much time. But it would have to be enough. "Will Cherno allow us to work on him? We think we can install something that will allow him to see and hear on his own."

Aleksis spoke again, but in his native language. Mako guessed he was asking Cherno's permission, and waited patiently for him to receive an answer.

"He says he will… so long as we stay with him."

She nodded. "Let us know if the situation changes at all. Hold on, Sasha and Aleksis. We'll work as fast as we can."

"Work carefully," Sasha insisted. "More than anything else, we do not want Cherno hurt any more than he already is."

Mako cut the connection and turned to Raleigh and the two scientists. "We have an hour. Do the mechanics have everything?"

"I thought the plan was to get the Kaidonovskys out of there first," Newt.

"We do not have a choice," Mako replied. "Sasha and Aleksis are the only things keeping Cherno calm. We will have to install the new systems without disengaging the neural handshake."

"That's madness!" Hermann insisted. "It's not safe to work on a Jaeger when it's still linked to its pilots. You could cause all kinds of neural damage!"

"Would you rather break up the handshake and have Cherno go on the rampage again?" asked Raleigh. "Mako's got a point. Sasha and Aleksis are in the best possible position to keep him under control at the moment. We just have to be careful."

Hermann snorted. "I don't like any of this. It's too risky. But seeing as we've got no choice…" He waved the mechanics over. "Cherno Alpha's computer core was designed for controlling the HUD displays in his Conn Pod and handling the neural input from his pilots. We have no way of knowing if that's where his conscious mind now resides, but we'll have to assume it can handle visual and audio input as well. Seeing as he already has visual and audio systems in place, it's a matter of going inside and rerouting them directly to his core, instead of feeding them to the HUD and pons headsets. It isn't a perfect solution… but it will have to do."

Mako nodded. Making do was what the Shatterdome had been doing for months now – they could make do for a little longer. "What about his voice?"

"He seems capable of communicating via his system readouts. We simply have to feed that information output through some sort of voice synthesizer, similar to the one we have in the LOCCENT. Unfortunately, we currently don't have one on hand."

"One is on the way," Mako replied. "From the Seattle Shatterdome. Their LOCCENT has been dismantled, and they are sending us all usable parts. It will be here in a few days."

Newt blinked. "Really? That was fast."

"Right now I think sight and sound are more important," Raleigh pointed out. "Sight especially." He looked up at the rocking Jaeger. "Any way we can get them to get him to hold still? There's no way we can fix him like that."

Mako touched the earpiece again. "Can you hold him still? We're about to begin working on him."

Aleksis spoke softly, and Cherno stilled, though the occasional tremor still moved through his titanic chassis. That would have to be good enough, Mako decided, and signaled for the mechanics to begin.

The work crews moved in quickly, some cordoning off the area, others gathering up tools and supplies. Two cranes moved in, emitting high-pitched beeping sounds to warn the unwary out of their way. One stretched its boom high to allow workers to inspect the ragged hole in Cherno's reactor tower, while another dipped down to the floor. Mako stepped into the bucket, followed by the team of technicians carrying the cables that would, with any luck, give Cherno his sight.

"Be careful," Raleigh warned.

"I've done this before," she reminded him, giving him a smile. "This is not the first Jaeger I've restored."

"Oh… right." He smiled back, a bit bashfully. "Still be careful. I don't want to lose another partner."

The bucket shuddered, then lifted into the air until it was level with the Conn Pod. The hatch was still sealed, and from the level of frustrated activity Mako could see in the LOCCENT, it was evident that it was going to take more than a computer command to get it open.

"Aleksis…" she began.

"He doesn't want to open it," Aleksis said with a bit of an aggrieved tone. "He says he doesn't trust anyone but us inside here."

Understandable, but still annoying. "Can you tell him that we just want to help him… but that he has to trust us and let us inside before we can do anything to help?"

A pause. "He wants you to promise you won't hurt him."

She reached out, having to stretch a bit over the edge of the crane bucket, and rested her hand against the nearest bit of Cherno Alpha she could reach. The metal felt warm under hand, and a slight tremor moved through the great chassis, like a horse trying to shake off a fly.

"I promise, Cherno, that I will not hurt you. I am Mako Mori, pilot to Gipsy Danger… and I am a friend. I am going to help you, but you have to trust me."

Aleksis relayed her words in Russian. Cherno shivered again, then there was a hiss as his cockpit snapped open. A tech pushed it open further to give the team access, and Mako climbed inside.

The difference between Cherno and Gipsy's Conn Pods struck her almost immediately as she dropped down to the floor of the cockpit. Where Gipsy's readouts and consoles had glowed a cool, soothing blue, Cherno's Pod was aglow with warm, vibrant amber. His systems were as up-to-date as Gipsy's had been due to frequent upgrades, but there remained remnants of the antiquated Mark I technology here and there – visible bolts and rivets jutting from the walls, old stains and dents in spots where exposed metal still showed, Cyrillic warning signs giving the whole chamber an odd Cold War vibe. The viewscreen was shaped differently, squarer and wider from top to bottom than Gipsy's.

But it was the atmosphere of the Pod itself that stood out in her mind. She had never spoken of it with anyone, even Raleigh, but in her drifts with Gipsy she could feel a sort of… presence, for lack of a better word. A personality behind the machine, one that remained cool and level in the heat of battle, that put the utmost trust in her pilots and responded to their movements instantly.

Even outside the neural handshake she could FEEL Cherno's presence… and the difference couldn't have been more striking. It felt distinctly male, for one thing, and seemed to radiate fear and pain. And she couldn't shake the feeling that even blind as he was, he was watching her… and wouldn't hesitate to act if he felt she was endangering him or his pilots.

She took a deep breath and rested a reassuring hand on the wall of the Conn Pod, then turned toward Aleksis and Sasha. They looked utterly spent, practically hanging in their harnesses and shaking with the effort of holding the drift, but from the steely glint in their eyes she knew they weren't about to admit their exhaustion. Sasha still sang, albeit softly, and Aleksis spoke quietly in his native tongue as he consoled the Jaeger.

She nodded, trusting that they had matters in hand, and motioned for the technicians to enter. They had a lot of work to do, and little time in which to do it.

* * *

From the LOCCENT, Tendo and Hercules watched the repair crews work, swarming over Cherno like ants, studying the extent of his damages and cataloguing what it would take to get him functioning again. Three cranes now hovered around the Jaeger, one allowing access to the reactor tower, one access to the Conn Pod, and the third access to the empty shoulder socket. On the floor of the Jaeger bay Hermann, Raleigh, and Newt were gathered around a holo-blueprint of Cherno, doubtless discussing what it was going to take to get him back into proper shape. Cherno itself – _himself,_ Tendo corrected – held still as possible, though he trembled slightly from time to time, as if something the repair crews had done pained or tickled him.

Herc looked grim as he watched the proceedings, arms folded across his chest. Tendo moved his gaze from the Jaeger to the senior Ranger, wondering what was on his mind. Since the Battle at the Breach Herc had become more sullen and withdrawn than ever, and the times he did speak with others he generally sounded irritable and unhappy. That was only understandable, Tendo thought, given that he was still in mourning over Chuck's death… and Striker's destruction.

Idly he wondered if Striker, too, would have started showing signs of life had it survived the battle. Though given that Striker had been almost brand new at the time of its destruction, perhaps it wouldn't have happened immediately. Cherno had been in service for years, and Tendo guessed that whatever had brought him to life hadn't been a sudden event but a slow process that had only now produced visible results. If anything, Gipsy would have been the next Jaeger to become sentient… but its wreckage was doubtless trapped in the Anteverse, never to be recovered.

Though there were two other Jaegers they could keep an eye on – Crimson Typhoon and Mustang Omega. He rather doubted either of them would exhibit signs of life anytime soon, however. Mustang was brand new and hadn't even had a drift with its Rangers yet, while Crimson's Rangers still lay in comas in a hospital on the other side of Hong Kong. For now, Cherno would remain an anomaly, an example of what the other Jaegers could have been given time.

"Where's she getting' the resources for this project anyhow?" demanded Herc at last. "Gonna take more than spit an' polish to get this rustbucket up and runnin' again."

"She's been cagey on the details," Tendo confessed. "Though I know for a fact that a lot of spare parts are coming from Oblivion Bay."

Herc snorted again, but this time there was a bit of an admiring glint in his eye. "Good girl. Usin' her head. Always thought it was a waste to just let the old Jaegers pile up an' rust. Why waste 'em when we can make good use of 'em?"

Tendo nodded. "Though given what's happening with Cherno… it almost feels like grave robbing."

This time Herc actually smiled, though it was more smirk than actual smile. "Don't think of it that way, Choi. Think of it more as… organ donation."

Tendo couldn't help a bit of a grin of his own. "As for the rest of her resources… Hannibal IS still alive. I'm going to guess she's finding ways to cut a deal with him somehow."

"Hannibal ain't gonna be in a position to help us much longer. With the Breach closed, his supply of Kaiju bits is gonna dry up soon."

Tendo nodded but didn't reply. In a way, though, the Shatterdome was in the same boat as Hannibal. Both of them depended on the Kaiju War to survive… and if there truly were no more Kaiju attacks, they would both become obsolete within the next year unless they found some way to adapt.

"So when's Mustang's test gonna start?" asked Herc. "The Rossis are gettin' restless."

"As soon as Cherno's able to see for himself," Tendo replied. "I can understand them being annoyed at the delay, but it would do them some good to learn how to deal with unforeseen complications. It's not as if we planned for a Jaeger coming to life to put their test drift off."

Herc nodded. "I'll tell 'em to hold their damned horses, then. What about Crimson? Gotten any closer to findin' pilots for him?"

He sighed softly. "No. Crimson is unique – and that's posing a significant problem. We can't simply modify it to accommodate two Rangers instead of three, and it's proving almost impossible to find three pilots who can drift without significant problems. It's hard enough finding a compatible pair… finding a compatible threesome is almost impossible." He reached up to rub at the bridge of his nose. "If the Weis showed any signs of recovering, it'd be a different story… we could simply wait until they were ready to suit up again. But their condition hasn't changed in weeks."

Herc didn't reply. Tendo glanced over to find him chewing on the inside of his cheek, lost in thought.

"I know that look," Tendo noted. "What are you thinking?"

Herc didn't reply right away. His gaze had moved from Cherno to the inert form of Crimson Typhoon. The red Jaeger had stood resolutely in its hangar for weeks, waiting for a return to action… a return that couldn't come until it had new Rangers. In some ways, Tendo thought suddenly, it was worse off than Cherno. It was obvious that the Mark I enjoyed a strong bond with his Rangers, and even now had them close by for support. Crimson was alone… and for a crazy moment Tendo wondered if it felt that loss, or missed its pilots at all.

As he watched the Jaeger, he could have sworn he saw its left arm shift slightly. A trick of the light, perhaps? He watched a moment longer, but when the move didn't repeat itself he looked away, deciding he had imagined it.

"We oughta bring the Wei Tangs here," Herc announced suddenly.

Tendo frowned. "The Shatterdome's medical center isn't designed for long-term stays."

"Not to play nursemaid to 'em," Herc replied. "To help 'em come back."

Tendo frowned. "I don't follow."

Herc rolled his eyes. "Are you really that thick, Choi? Look at what's right in front of you. If a drift with its Rangers could help Cherno… maybe the reverse is true. Maybe a drift with Crimson Typhoon can help bring the Weis back, so to speak. Rouse 'em out of their comas."

He stared at the senior Ranger incredulously. "That," he said once he'd found his voice, "has got to be the most insane plan I've heard in awhile."

"Says the guy who went along wholeheartedly with Pentecost's 'drop a nuke in the Breach' plan."

"Getting two fully conscious and willing participants to engage in a neural handshake is hard enough," Tendo went on, ignoring the jab. "Initiating a drift between three comatose people, Rangers or not, and a Jaeger is just begging for something to go wrong. And there's a fundamental difference between Cherno and Crimson – Cherno's alive. No other Jaeger has even shown hints of becoming sentient."

Herc paused, and seemed to be debating whether to continue speaking. "That ain't entirely true."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that before he was… destroyed… Striker seemed to be doin' the same thing."

Tendo stared. "That's impossible. He never showed signs of sentience."

"Not to you, maybe. But Chuck an' I saw the signs. Whenever we drifted, it felt like there was another presence in the drift with us. A third entity. At first we joked that his mum was watchin' over us from elsewhere, makin' sure we didn't kill ourselves… but it didn't feel like her. It felt like its own presence… it felt like Striker. Couldn't have been anyone else."

"And you never thought to mention this before? The greatest discovery in the history of the Jaeger program and you just sat on it?"

"What would the PPDC have done had we said anythin'? Probably yanked us from the program and slapped us in the nuthouse is what! Hell, I'll bet you anythin' the Kaidonovskys have known for YEARS their Jaeger's sentient and just kept it to themselves. Same with the Weis or the Becketts… hell, even Pentecost probably knew on some level. Any Rangers who brought it up got labeled as whack jobs, though, so we kept it quiet. An open secret among the Rangers, as it were."

"An open secret that's no longer a secret," Tendo reminded him. "Now that Cherno's become fully self-aware, we need the Rangers to be more open with us than ever. Because if that's the case, Cherno's not going to be the only one of his kind for long." He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I'll call the hospital and see if the Weis are in any kind of condition to be moved. We'll see if Crimson responds to them being closer. I want some kind of permission from their families before we do anything especially foolhardy like drifting, though."

Herc nodded, satisfied with that for now. "Kinda wish I'd said somethin' before the strike on the Breach. Maybe, with that bein' common knowledge… Pentecost wouldn't have been so quick to sacrifice Striker an' Gipsy."

Tendo didn't know what to say in response. Thankfully, he was saved by an announcement from Raleigh.

"Mako says they've got everything wired up," he radioed. "The LOCCENT can activate the visual feeds now."

"Copy that," Tendo replied. "Bailey, visual's a go."

"What if this doesn't work?" she asked, hand on the button that would restore Cherno's visual feed.

"We regroup an' try again," Herc replied. "Push the button already."

She nodded and pressed it. Abruptly the readout, which had gone blank, erupted with Cyrillic symbols. Outside the LOCCENT, Cherno jerked and let out a high whine, causing an uproar from the repair crews.

"Something definitely happened there," Raleigh said, rather unhelpfully.

"Is everyone okay?" asked Tendo. "Anyone hurt?"

"No, just spooked," Raleigh reported. "Mako, Sasha, Aleksis, what's going on in there?"

"He sees!" Sasha exclaimed. "He says he can see!"

Mako must have spread the word to the rest of the crew, because the hangar erupted with cheers. Newt flung his arms around Hermann in a hug, much to the other scientist's consternation, and Raleigh pumped his fists in the air with a whoop. Even Lance, standing off to the side and watching curiously, looked elated. Lexie still scowled, but then, it seemed little about this situation pleased her at all.

Tendo sagged with relief. "Let's get you two out of there. Bailey, shut down the neural handshake. Mako, help them out of the Conn Pod. Everyone else… good job. We've got a lot of work yet to do, but good job." He pulled a handkerchief out of his shirt pocket and wiped his brow. "Let's get the LOCCENT ready for Mustang's drift. With any luck, we'll have as good of luck with it as we did with Cherno."

"Somehow I doubt that," Herc muttered. But for the first time since the attack on the Breach, he wore a genuine smile.


	9. Curiosity

_Gone… all gone._

_Cherno Alpha stepped back from the broken, bleeding body of Gorynych, blue ichor still dripping from his knuckles, his fists still tingling with energy. Deep claw marks had been gouged out of his legs and reactor tower, and his damage readout indicated his left arm had been brutally yanked out of its shoulder socket. He was low on power, and he practically shook with exhaustion and pain._

_All that paled next to the terrible ache in his core, a pain no technician or mechanic could repair._

_The Kaidonovskys finally tore his gaze away from Gorynych's body and directed it toward the wreckage of Vladivostok. The Shatterdome gaped open like a broken egg, as if it had just violently hatched and birthed the horrible Kaiju that now lay dead at his feet. The city of Vladivostok smoked and flared, buildings crushed to rubble, flames ignited by torn wiring burning hungrily through the ruins. Ash intermixed with the wind-driven snow that whipped at his chassis, and the iron-gray sky above seemed to mirror the gloom that hung over the ravaged city._

_They had failed. They had killed Gorynych, but they had still failed. Somehow a single Kaiju had managed to destroy their home base... and the Jaegers had been powerless to stop it._

_He turned to regard Nova Hyperion… or rather, what was left of her. The Korean Jaeger lay on her side on the snow-crusted beach, slightly curled up and her hands held close to her chest like a sleeping child. Smoke billowed from the ragged hole in her neck where her Conn Pod had been, and huge gaps had been ripped in her armor by Gorynych's barbed claws. Radioactive gel poured out of a deep wound in her torso like life's blood… but Cherno knew that trying to staunch the "bleeding" was useless now. Her Rangers were dead, and her with them._

_Cherno limped toward her, his shredded legs screaming with every step, and sank to his knees by her side. When the Mark IV Jaeger had first come to Vladivostok, on loan from the Seoul Shatterdome, he had expected the same teasing about his age Eden Assassin had always subjected him to. And when her pilots, former Olympic hopefuls turned Rangers, had chosen to ignore the Kaidonovskys, he had expected similarly cold treatment from the newbuilt._

_But despite her newness and advanced weaponry, Nova had none of the cocky demeanor of Eden. She had been reserved and shy, but had regarded Cherno with a quiet sort of awe. And just as he had often seen Aleksis pester and beg Ilya for more tales in his memories, Nova had eventually overcome her shyness and hesitantly asked to hear some of the older Jaeger's battle stories. Cherno had been reluctant at first, not wanting to risk forging the same sort of friendship with Nova that he'd had with Eden – and having it just as brutally ripped away – but in the end he had given in._

_Nova hadn't replaced Eden – nothing would. But he had still enjoyed a close friendship with her, and felt almost protective of her, like a mentor figure. Her fighting style had been quite different from his, but she had still listened raptly to his tales and taken his advice regarding battling the Kaiju to her core. And with her around, he no longer felt so alone in the Jaeger bay when his Rangers were otherwise occupied._

_But now she was gone, her core extinguished… and he was alone again._

_He keened softly, heedless of the biting wind and the drone of the Jumphawks swooping in to collect Nova's remains. His comrades were gone. Eden Assassin had been felled by a lucky strike by Katschei three years ago… Warlock Defender had been dragged underwater and crushed by Krakenhead within weeks of his transfer to Vladivostok, here and gone so quickly Cherno had barely had time to get to know him… Nova Hyperion had been ripped apart in Gorynych's death throes…_

_And it wasn't enough that the Kaiju had taken another friend from him. Gorynych had ripped apart his home, tearing the Shatterdome apart before the Jaegers could stop it. Now the city they had been sworn to protect lay in ruins, and though they had destroyed the monster, their victory rang hollow in the freezing, smoke-laden air._

" _Cherno…"_

_He shook and keened softly. He didn't want to be interrupted right now, not when he was still raw with grief._

" _Cherno," Aleksis repeated, his tone firm but gentle. "We have to go. There is nothing more we can do."_

_He keened again, but obeyed his Rangers as they shifted his limbs, standing him up to loom over the bodies of the fallen Kaiju and Jaeger. Behind them, Vladivostok continued to burn, the Shatterdome's jagged wreck standing over the city like a tombstone to mark its destruction._

_Beneath his grief and pain he could feel another, stranger emotion… apprehension. It came more from his Rangers than from himself, but he still understood. They had failed to defend their own Shatterdome from attack, and there were going to be consequences. The question was what would be done, and what would happen to them in the aftermath._

* * *

For the second day in a row, Aleksis found himself waking up in Cherno Alpha's hangar instead of in any sort of proper sleeping quarters. At least this time he didn't wake up still sitting on a supply crate – someone had the foresight to set up a sleeping pad for himself and Sasha in here. Every muscle in his body ached, however, and his head throbbed dully as if with a hangover. It felt as if he had run a marathon or fought a nasty Category IV Kaiju yesterday, though all he could remember was Cherno…

A dream. It had to be a dream. He lay there a moment, eyes shut, trying to savor the fantasy. The image of Cherno finally coming to full sentience, of being able to move on his own without their aid, was one he wanted burned into his memory, even if it was only a dream. It was far preferable to the alternative of their beloved Jaeger being hauled off for display in a museum…

Something nudged at his mind – a familiar presence he had given up as gone. His exhaustion forgotten, he rolled over and opened his eyes.

"Cherno!"

A pleased rumble of an engine was his answer. The Jaeger no longer lay slumped in a corner of his hangar, but sat cross-legged next to their sleeping pad. He still looked a mess – the hole in his reactor tower still gaped open, and tooth and claw marks from Otachi and Leatherback still riddled his chassis – but he seemed oblivious to his damages. At the moment he simply radiated delight at seeing one of his pilots awake.

Aleksis couldn't help a joyous laugh. It hadn't been a dream after all. Cherno Alpha was alive, and even outside the drift he was mobile and aware of his surroundings. It was his wildest dream come true.

Sasha shifted beside him, then sat up, never taking her eyes off the Jaeger. "You can see us still? And hear us?"

Cherno's entire body bobbed in a nod.

"Can you speak?" asked Aleksis.

A burst of puzzlement. _I'm talking to you right now, Papa._

That title filled him with a rush of pleasure. "I meant aloud… like I am speaking to you."

Cherno didn't have a proper face, but he radiated an emotion that felt a lot like a concentrated grimace. His engine strained and whined, then belted out a belching roar that sounded more like a malfunction than speech.

"Don't hurt yourself!" Sasha urged.

 _Didn't hurt,_ he assured them. _But I guess I can't speak like you. Not yet, anyhow._ He raised his hands to show them. _Look, they reattached my arm while you were offline. I'm getting better!_

Aleksis laughed again. "Sasha, look at him. Who would have thought our Cherno would be so adorable?"

Sasha gave him a look of mock astonishment. "Aleksis, did you just say that word? Watch your language!"

He grinned. "Cherno Alpha is adorable. I said it again."

She lightly punched his shoulder, then burst out laughing. "You are right, though… he's cute. It's quite endearing to see him like this."

Cherno's presence in their minds bubbled with amusement. _So me being like this is a good thing? Not terrible or frightening? I know all the Shatterdome crews were scared of me._

"Not terrible at all," Aleksis assured him. "They were simply frightened because they did not understand what was going on." He decided not to say the whole truth – that they had been terrified that he would step on someone or wreck the Shatterdome in his fright. No use making him feel bad about something he couldn't control.

 _You two were offline a really long time,_ Cherno went on, lowering his hands. _I was worried! Gipsy's Ranger said you were just really tired and needed the rest, so I didn't try to wake you up, but still, I thought maybe you were malfunctioning somehow…_

"Slow down, Cherno," Sasha advised, laughing softly. "We aren't malfunctioning. Still recovering from the Hong Kong battle, but we'll be all right. Yesterday's drift just exhausted us."

Cherno gave off a confused whine. _Mama… the drift was two days ago._

She blinked. "Two days? Why did no one wake us?"

"You heard what he was told," Aleksis replied, resting a hand on her shoulder. "They probably decided the drift had taxed us enough that we needed the rest. Still… I can understand him being worried about us being asleep so long."

 _But you're awake now!_ Cherno said brightly. _Things are gonna get better now, right?_ His entire chassis practically vibrated with excitement. _Are we still gonna fight Kaiju?_

"No, little one," Sasha told him. "The Breach is closed. The Kaiju are gone."

… _oh._ His excitement dimmed abruptly, like a light going out. _If… if there are no more Kaiju… what do we do now?_

For that, Aleksis had no answer.

"We will figure something out," Sasha promised, and rolled off the sleeping pad. "For now… Papa and I are going to go shower, eat, and get dressed. Will you be okay by yourself for an hour or so?"

_Yes. I can talk to Crimson maybe. He seems lonely._

Aleksis had long ago stopped wondering how Jaegers managed to communicate between themselves. Cherno could communicate with his Rangers via the neural handshake, and the drift hangover allowed him to share thoughts and feelings with them, but as far as they knew he shouldn't have any sort of drift connection with other Jaegers. Perhaps it was some form of communication unique to Jaegers, a telepathy they enjoyed that other beings couldn't.

"Don't go too close to the other Jaeger," he warned. "Mustang Omega. They're going to be working with him today, and they won't want to be disturbed."

The feeling that pulsed through their minds could best be described as a scowl. _Don't worry, I won't. I don't like him. He's creepy._

"Creepy?" Sasha frowned. "How so?"

 _It's like he's dead._ Cherno gave a shudder that made his armor rattle. _There's no wounds or damages, but when I try to talk to him, I get no answer. He feels… hollow. Empty._

That struck Aleksis as strange. Most of the time, when Cherno shared a Jaeger bay with another mecha, he had some observations regarding his fellow Jaeger or Jaegers and their personalities. He didn't always seem to befriend them, and Aleksis could sense that he still hurt over the destruction of Eden Assassin and Nova Hyperion, but the impression he always gathered during the neural handshake was that Cherno never saw them as mindless entities but as comrades in arms. He supposed that Mustang having no such presence was simply the result of him being so new, not even having had a drift with his Rangers yet, but still, it seemed odd…

Then he caught himself and smiled ruefully. Here the rest of the Shatterdome was marveling over a sentient Jaeger, and he was puzzling himself over why one would possess no sentience. Life was full of strangeness sometimes.

He pushed himself to his knees, then groped for his walker. He could have sworn he'd left it right beside the sleeping mat before collapsing for the night…

Cherno shifted, his hand hovering over his Rangers… and Aleksis caught the glint of silver metal in his fingers. He held Aleksis' walker between his thumb and forefinger, the device looking ridiculously small and flimsy in his grip.

_Here, Papa._

"Thank you, Cherno." He reached up and took the walker, using it to haul himself to his feet. "Ready, Sasha?"

She nodded, and the two of them made their way out of the hangar, Sasha slowing her pace to let Aleksis keep up. He could feel Cherno's visual sensors on them the whole way as they left the hangar, and his anxious presence hung at the edge of their consciousness.

 _We will be back,_ he thought, trying to assure their Jaeger as best he could. _Just hold on a little longer. We almost lost you once… we would never abandon you again._

* * *

"Ready in there?" Bailey called out.

"Are you kidding?" Lance replied. "I've been ready for this for months! Flip the switch already!"

"Don't get cocky, kid," Tendo replied, adjusting a few controls. "This isn't a simulation run; it's the real deal. We're gonna see how well the two of you drift in a real Jaeger, and see what adjustments Mustang needs to his motor systems."

"We know the difference between sim runs and real drifts," Lexie snapped. "Let's get this done already. No more delays."

Tendo pursed his lips as if he'd bitten into a lemon, but he decided it was best to ignore the snark. Starting a fight with a Ranger who was just about to engage in a neural handshake wasn't the smartest of ideas – if they carried that anger into the drift it could cause disruptions in the handshake or even lead to one pilot or another chasing the RABIT. They could deal with insubordination after the handshake was ended.

The LOCCENT was aglow with lights and displays, prepped and ready for Mustang Omega's first drift. The Mark VI Jaeger stood motionless before them, light gleaming in curves and bright points on its sleek black armor. Normally from his position in the LOCCENT Tendo could look into the Conn Pod and observe the pilots through its viewscreen, but not this time – the Conn Pod sat directly below the LOCCENT, its Rangers completely separated from the Jaeger.

This was the first drift of its kind… and it bothered Tendo on some level. He was used to being able to watch the Rangers as they drifted, and was often able to catch disruptions in the drift, seizures, or other critical issues before the sensors did. It felt weird not being able to do the same here. That, and some part of him nagged that Mustang looked incomplete without its cockpit in place.

He pushed those thoughts out of his mind and returned his attention to the readouts. No time to get himself stuck in a mental rut. Things were different now, but different didn't necessarily mean bad. It just meant they would have to adjust to a new set of rules from here on out.

"On my signal," he said at last. "Three…"

"Wait," Herc ordered.

Tendo raised an eyebrow. "For?"

Herc nodded out the LOCCENT window. "For that."

Tendo followed his gaze… and had to chuckle. Cherno Alpha was peering out of his hangar, watching the other Jaeger. The Mark I had no face to emote with, but his body language seemed to suggest he was fascinated with what was going on. He looked so much like a little kid trying to spy on something he thought was forbidden that it was hard not to be charmed by the sight.

"What's the holdup, sir?" asked Lance.

"We've got company," Tendo replied. "Cherno Alpha, if you can hear us, give us a signal."

Cherno jolted, surprised at being directly addressed. Then he tried to duck back into his hangar.

"We can see you out there," Tendo informed him. "You're eighty-five meters tall; you're not especially good at hiding."

The Jaeger peered out again, then tentatively raised a hand and waved. He seemed to hear them just fine… that was good, at least, even if communication was only one-way at this point.

"You can watch, but keep your distance," he ordered. "This is a delicate process, and we don't want Mustang or its pilots knocked out of the drift prematurely. It could cause serious problems."

Cherno bobbed his entire body in a nod and backed up a step, though he continued to stare.

"Are you done yet?" Lexie demanded.

"Be patient, Ms. Rossi," Tendo advised. "We just had to be sure Cherno wasn't going to interfere with the neural handshake. Proceeding as scheduled."

"That damn museum piece has delayed us enough," she grumbled. "Why couldn't it just go to Sydney and have everything be over and done with?"

"Shut it, Rossi," Herc snapped. "Focus on Mustang. Cherno ain't your business, but Mustang IS. Got it?"

She sighed dramatically but gave a reluctant "yes" in response. Herc scowled but took that as the best response he was going to get, stepping back.

"Initiating neural handshake in three… two… one…" Tendo braced himself and threw the switch.

Energy hummed about the LOCCENT, streaming through the massive cables connected to Mustang and the Conn Pod. Over the radio he could hear Lance and Lexie gasp as they felt the first stirrings of the mental connection… the meeting of minds that made up the neural handshake.

"Let it happen," Herc coached. "Don't latch onto any memories – just let 'em flow. Not your own, not your co-pilot's, nothin'…"

"We… got… this," Lexie insisted, voice taut.

Herc snorted. "Someone needs to learn some respect for her elders," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth in Tendo's direction.

"Left hemisphere online," Bailey reported. "Right hemisphere online. Sir, we have a handshake!"

A smattering of applause was her response. Tendo noted that no one seemed quite as thrilled about a new pair of Rangers making a connection as they had shown in the past. Had the war taken that much toll on them that a new Ranger team no longer seemed significant? He doubted it – just a few months ago everyone had been ecstatic about the new Gipsy Danger team, at least until Mako had chased the RABIT and almost wrecked the LOCCENT. Either people were already fed up with the Rossis' antics, or Cherno's sudden sentience had stolen some of the Mustang Omega team's thunder. Perhaps some of both.

"Time for some basic movement tests," Tendo announced. "Raise Mustang's right arm."

The new Jaeger quivered to life, and with deliberate slowness its right arm lifted. The movement was clumsy at first, jerky like an old movie robot.

"Don't fight each other," Herc ordered. "You're workin' together on this."

"Yessir," Lance replied. "What next?"

"Lower it – slowly! Now raise the left arm…"

Limb by limb they put Mustang through its paces, testing every joint and servo, getting the Rangers comfortable with moving the mecha in various ways. Gradually Mustang's movements became smoother and more graceful as the Rossis got the hang of it, and soon they settled into a natural pattern of movement. Tendo noted with satisfaction that Mustang showed more flexibility than Jaegers of the past – it would be a faster, more agile machine, able to move more swiftly to combat the Kaiju and dodge their attacks.

Already, Tendo noted, the Rossis were starting to settle into a signature style. Every Jaeger had a particular way they moved and fought, evoking different disciplines of hand-to-hand combat according to their Rangers' personal tastes and their own innate battle programming. Gipsy Danger's style had mimicked a street fighter, Striker Eureka's a no-holds-barred boxer. Crimson Typhoon's movements brought to mind a martial artist; Cherno Alpha had favored a style similar to Greco-Roman wrestling. Mustang's own style wouldn't be completely evident until it finally saw combat, but in this early testing stage its style most closely resembled a fencer or swordsman. It moved with a powerful grace, incorporating elaborate flourishes into its moves as its Rangers grew more comfortable with handling it.

Briefly Tendo took his eyes off Mustang to check on Cherno. He had to stifle a laugh – the Mark I was still watching raptly, and even had his arms up and was trying to mimic some of Mustang's moves. He was slower and less flexible, though, and his movements were sloppier and clumsier. Not necessarily a bad thing, Tendo thought – Cherno was simply built differently, his advantages lying in power and brute force rather than agility.

"Looks like a remote control drift functions just fine," Bailey noted with a smile. "Just as good as a drift from inside the Jaeger."

"The true test will be when we get it out on the battlefield," Tendo told her. "But this is a promising start."

"A'right, we're done for now," Herc said at last. "Let's get you two out of there…"

"Wait, I want to try one more thing," Lance replied. "Mustang's got hand-to-hand weapons, right?"

"Mr. Rossi, leave the weapons systems alone!" Herc barked. "That's a direct order-"

The command came too late. Mustang raised its arms, and a curved titanium blade extended from each forearm. The blades gleamed in the light of the LOCCENT, beautiful and deadly.

"That is so cool!" Lance gushed.

"Put those away now!" Tendo barked. "We're NOT testing the weapons systems today!'

"I gotta try this," Lance insisted, and Mustang gave a test swipe with the right arm. The slash narrowly missed a catwalk, sending personnel scattering in a panic.

"Lance!" Bailey shrieked. "Put it away, you're gonna kill someone!"

"We're not gonna wreck the Shatterdome, geez," Lexie huffed. "We're not klutzes. Unlike someone we can mention…" But Mustang lowered its arms anyhow, the blades sliding back into their protective sheaths. It straightened up, shoulders squared back like a soldier standing at attention, then went still.

"Shut the handshake down," Herc snapped. "Get 'em out of there. Then get 'em to my office right now for a dressin'-down. Dumb kids are gonna get us all killed…"

Tendo blew out a sigh. Why did it seem as if every young hotshot that took a Conn Pod for the first time had to have some sort of issue? Raleigh and Yancy had let a spat with an ex-girlfriend break up their handshake, Mako had gotten trapped in a bad memory, and now the Rossis were choosing to flout authority and treat their Jaeger like a toy. In a way, that disrespect was worse than an issue with the drift. They had drifted well, true, but if they were going to act like this every time they controlled Mustang, then maybe it was time to find other pilots.

He moved his gaze to Cherno again. The Jaeger was crouched as if about to start running, both hands up in a wrestling move, but as Mustang went still he relaxed, lowering his arms. As if sensing Tendo was watching he gave a little wave, then turned to go back into his hangar.

 _He was ready to intervene should Mustang go out of control,_ Tendo realized. _That would have been something – a Jaeger vs. Jaeger wrestling match. Though I have to admit, having someone around who could grapple a rogue Jaeger would have been useful during that fiasco of a drift with Gipsy…_

He caught hold of that thought, mulling over it. Then he pulled out a tablet and made a quick note. The Wei Tangs would be here sometime in the next few days for the attempted drift with Crimson, and while they had originally planned for Cherno to be absent at the time, perhaps it would be far more useful to have him on hand. Cherno's "awakening" had been violent and nearly uncontrollable, and if Crimson did come to full sentience in their care, it would be better for everyone involved if someone could keep him under control.

For now, though, they would focus on the two Jaegers they had. They would continue to test and train Mustang and its Rangers… and Mako would continue to repair and study Cherno, and figure out the extent of his intelligence and abilities. They were in uncharted territory on both counts, and only time would tell how either situation would pan out.

* * *

"Oy! What are you doing in there? Get out of there!"

Spike poked his head out of the mess of shredded aluminum foil that made up his nest, hissing.

"Not you, boy," Newt assured the skin mite, patting his head. "I'm talking about the hairball."

Spike chirred and burrowed back into the foil. Newt reached into the nest and pulled out a squirming, whining ball of fur, checking it over to make sure it hadn't cut itself in Spike's nesting material or gotten itself bitten. Then he raised it up to eye level and looked it square in the eye.

"And everyone complains about MY pet getting into things he shouldn't," he grumbled. "At least I've got him housetrained. You, on the other hand, are a whole different story."

The bulldog pup whined and stretched forward to lick his nose.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you like me." He tucked the pup under one arm and went back to his workbench. "Well, I guess you can stay here until Herc comes looking for you."

The pup seemed perfectly content with that arrangement, and it settled itself in the crook of his arm as he went back to reading the newspaper. Said pup was a gift from the city of Sydney to Hercules, a sort of combined thank-you and condolence gift for the Hansen's contributions to ending the Kaiju War once and for all. At first Herc had grumbled about the puppy, complaining that being saddled with another dog was "some thanks" for saving the world, but Newt knew for a fact that the elder Hansen often carried the pup around in his jacket, tucked just out of sight so no one else would see it. The only reason he knew about the pup was because Spike seemed to take a liking to it too, and went nuts whenever he smelled it around.

Newt wasn't a psychologist, but he was pretty sure that Herc had taken well to the dog in an effort to fill the void left by Chuck's death. A puppy wouldn't replace his son, of course, but it could provide distraction and companionship during the grieving process. And it even seemed to lift Max out of his funk – the poor dog missed Chuck too, and sorely needed a friend.

Hermann shuffled into the lab at that moment, red-eyed and rumpled. Newt glanced up and grinned at him.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

"Bugger off," Hermann retorted, thumping down into a chair. "Does Marshal Hansen know you have Bruno?"

"Probably not," Newt admitted. "I just found him hanging out with Spike. Figure he can keep me company until Herc misses him. Bruno... what kinda name is that for a dog?"

"Says the Kaiju groupie who named a parasite Spike."

"Hey, hush, it's a perfectly good name for an alien skin mite." He flipped another page in the paper he was reading. "Haha, check this out. Some island in the Pacific actually worships the Jaegers as gods. Nice turnaround from the Kaiju cultists, huh?"

"Are you reading the tabloids again?" Hermann demanded.

"So what if I am? They're hilarious! And who knows, they might be true! Like the _Men in Black_ movies!"

"They're sensationalist garbage, fit only for mulching one's garden," Hermann retorted. "Perhaps not even that – they might poison the plants."

"They're a lot more entertaining than your science journals, that's for sure," Newt fired back. "Look, it says they've got Jaeger parts somehow and are stashing them in a temple of some kind. You know, it's kind of funny how a tribal culture chooses to worship the Jaegers, while more developed cultures worship the Kaiju instead. I'm sure there's some kind of philosophical statement there…"

"You are impossible." Hermann reached up and rubbed at his eyes, groaning. "If you actually believe that load of Kaiju manure, you're madder than I thought."

"Hey… are you okay?" He looked up from the article. "You don't look so good."

"Astute observation, Newton. No, I'm not okay. Insomnia generally isn't a sign of good health."

Newt winced. "Yikes… talked to the medical center about that? They got pills for that kinda thing."

"The pills don't help the nightmares," Hermann complained.

"Aw man, you too? I've been having nightmares for the past week!" He set Bruno down on the floor and went to find the spray bottle – it was time for Spike's ammonia bath. "Figures that even with the war over, the Kaiju are still messing with our heads, huh?"

"If it was simply Kaiju I might be fine with it," Hermann huffed. "But it's memories of the Precursors that seem to be haunting me. That glimpse of the Anteverse… except my subconscious seems to be twisting it around to suit its own whimsy."

"Yeah, it's messed up what our minds'll do with the input we give them, huh?" Newt pushed some of the foil aside and gave Spike a good spritzing. "I didn't get the best look at the Anteverse and still my brain's coming up with these funky images. Like giant ships that look like they're made out of huge shells."

Hermann's head jerked up. "Shells?"

"Yeah, but not like seashells… more like giant turtle shells. Funky, huh?" He shot his fellow scientist a grin.

The sleepiness left Hermann's eyes, and he stared intently at Newt. "An armada of shell-ships… most small, but the largest vast? Big enough to possibly hold at least a dozen Kaiju?"

Newt's smile vanished. "Yeah…"

"Coming through a Breach?" Hermann pressed.

"Yeah, but not THE Breach… like a new Breach… and they parked themselves on the ocean floor…"

"And planted some sort of roots into the sea bed. Like mobile buildings…"

"And the little Precursor guys start flooding out in their little protective suits… organic suits like the aliens in _Independence Day…_ "

"And started building… something. The question is what."

The two scientists exchanged a long, meaningful look. Then Newt tossed the ammonia bottle onto the table, Hermann pushed himself to his feet, and the two hurried out of the lab as quickly as possible to notify Tendo. The Anteverse wasn't done with their world after all.


	10. A Moment of Understanding

_Sasha wondered if bloodshed could have been avoided had Ian just gone quietly on his way instead of storming into the barracks uninvited, practically spitting fire in his rage and spoiling for a fight. Somehow she doubted it. Events of the past two days had left both herself and Aleksis seething with raw pain and anger, and doubtless any confrontation, no matter how small, would have ended badly for the other party involved. But goodness knew Ian certainly hadn't made things any better._

_The young Ranger's timing was particularly bad. The Kaidonovskys had hardly finished packing their things when he shoved his way toward them, eyes flashing and breath hissing out through clenched teeth._

" _What did you do to it?!" he demanded._

" _Get out," Aleksis rumbled, his voice low and dangerous. "We are not in the mood."_

" _You jinxed it!" Ian roared. "You sabotaged Cherno Alpha somehow! I know you did, don't try to deny it!"_

_Sasha clenched her jaw in anger. "Get. Out. Before it goes badly for you."_

_The three Rangers glared at one another, the air practically crackling around them with furious energy. Other soldiers and crew members stared in horrified wonder, the intense tableau commanding all their attention. A few muttered between themselves, and Sasha heard two technicians behind her placing bets on the inevitable fight. She might have been amused were she not still reeling in pain and anger; right now she simply ignored them and focused all her attention on Ian._

_Their worst fears had been realized in the aftermath of the Vladivostok disaster. The PPDC had conducted an investigation, determined Ranger error as the cause of the destruction, and promptly forced the two of them into retirement. Vladivostok would be decommissioned and sold off to a private buyer, and Cherno Alpha would operate under a new set of Rangers, protecting the Russian and Siberian coastlines until the Anti-Kaiju Wall was completed. Once the Wall was up the Mark I would also be decommissioned, and sent off to a museum in St. Petersburg._

_Aleksis and Sasha had fought the decision like wolves the entire way. Cherno was family, part of their souls, and they could not – WOULD not – be separated from him. No other Ranger would know his habits and quirks; no other Ranger could hope to operate him in battle half as effectively. And if they lost him… it would be like losing part of themselves. They appealed their dismissal all the way up to the head of the PPDC, hoping for saner minds to prevail._

_Their pleas fell on deaf ears. Rangers in general were falling into disfavor, and the PPDC found it convenient to blame the sudden string of failures on the Jaeger program. They were phasing the Jaegers out in favor of the coward's way – building a wall and huddling behind it like frightened rabbits – and if the Vladivostok disaster gave them a convenient reason to be rid of a few more Rangers, then so be it._

_Bitter failure hung over the two of them like a dark cloud as they packed their things and prepared to leave the ruined base they had come to see as home. They had planned to go to Cherno and say their final goodbyes, then leave the base and find jobs among the construction crews rebuilding the city of Vladivostok. That would at least enable them to stay close to Cherno… and to seek some opportunity to return to his side. They had come this far together; they would not be driven apart now._

_Marshal Terekhov had been an unexpected ally. While powerless to countermand the PPDC's orders, he was sympathetic to their plight, even if he didn't understand their bond with Cherno. He had told them to stay close, that once the PPDC's attention was elsewhere he would hire them back on as mechanics for Cherno. And he promised to keep them updated on when Cherno was due to be shipped out to St. Petersburg._

_In the meantime, however, two Rangers from New Zealand were slated to take over as Cherno's pilots. The Kaidonovskys had declined the offer to watch their first drift with Cherno – it would have been too painful watching their beloved Jaeger being turned over to another team. They could only hope that Ian and Pierce would treat Cherno with the respect he deserved._

_Judging by the wild look on Ian's face, Sasha was going to guess their first drift hadn't gone as planned._

" _What'd you do to it?!" Ian snarled. "Buggered it up so no one else could use it, did ya? The Marshal's gonna hear about this!"_

" _Lay off 'em, mate!" Pierce cut in, walking up and tugging at his fellow Ranger's arm. "You don't have any proof they're responsible for all this…"_

" _Did what?" demanded Sasha. "Start explaining. What are you accusing us of?"_

_Ian gave her an incredulous look. "You know bloody well what you did! You sabotaged that Jaeger! Made it so it won't accept any Rangers but you! Five times they tried the handshake! Five times! An' every time that bleedin' hunk of metal booted us out!"_

_A rush of pride doused her anger for a moment. So Cherno was taking matters into his own hands, weighing the new Rangers for himself and finding them wanting. She could have run to him and embraced his foot at that moment._

" _C'mon, mate, handshakes fail all the time," Pierce told his co-Ranger, trying to drag him out of the barracks. "Don't go blamin' them for it!"_

" _We have done nothing," Aleksis added, setting his jaw and glowering down at the shorter Rangers. "Perhaps it is Cherno who does not accept you. Perhaps he thinks the two of you are not fit to be his Rangers."_

" _Damn right we're fit!" Ian howled, wrestling his arm free of Pierce's grip. "Top of our class, top simulator scores, perfect neural handshakes in all the tests! We're a damn sight better than two washed-up has-beens who were fool enough to get two sets of Rangers killed! You an' that piece of junk museum piece were made for each other!"_

_Whether it was the insult toward them or toward their Jaeger that pushed Aleksis over the edge, who could say. Aleksis lunged, and Ian reeled back, clutching his jaw. That seemed to trip some kind of switch inside the Kiwi Ranger, and he charged with a roar, aiming a fist at the Russian Ranger's face. Aleksis barely staggered._

_Sasha and Pierce scrambled out of the way as the two men laid into each other, punching and grabbing, sending a few chairs toppling in their wake. Aleksis obviously had the advantage of size and physical strength, but Ian was tough and quick, squirming out of Aleksis' reach and retaliating with swift jabs and hooks. Within seconds Ian's face sported a multitude of cuts and scratches from Aleksis' rings, while blood matted Aleksis' mustache and beard from a broken nose._

_By the time Marshal Terekhov burst into the barracks, bellowing for order and demanding to know what was going on, the match had been decided. Aleksis slammed Ian into the wall, pinning his arm behind him at a painful angle with one hand and grinding his face against the wall with the other._

" _Take. It. Back." His voice was a deadly growl that would have sent a Kaiju running in terror._

" _Gerroff" Ian hissed._

" _Let him go, you're breakin' his arm!" Pierce shouted._

" _Kaidonovsky, Tennant, break it up right now!" Terekhov roared._

_Aleksis held Ian against the wall for a long moment, then released him, stepping back. Ian staggered, clutching his arm and giving Aleksis a venomous glower._

" _You two," Terekhov snapped, gesturing toward Ian and Pierce. "My office. Now."_

" _He started it!" Ian protested._

" _Are you suddenly five years old now?" Terekhov demanded. "Get to my office!"_

_Pierce grabbed Ian's uninjured arm and dragged him off before he could complain any more._

" _And you two." Terekhov turned to glare at the Kaidonovskys now. "Fine way for you to finish your tour of duty here."_

" _They are not fit to be Cherno's Rangers," Sasha snapped. "Not with that attitude."_

" _Try telling that to the PPDC," Terekhov replied. "They've made the decision, and we have to live with it. Get out before the authorities come. But don't go far. If your balky Jaeger won't take any other pilots, we may still need you." And with that, he strode out._

_Sasha turned to Aleksis. "Are you all right?"_

" _Been better," he replied, his voice distorted as he pinched his nose to stem the bleeding. "Those children do not deserve him. And our Cherno deserves better."_

_She only nodded and took his arm. As Terekhov had said, this was a hell of a way for them to finish their careers as Rangers. But at least there was a glimmer of hope on the horizon… a possibility that they could return, and take up the mantle of Rangers again. They just had to be patient, and have faith that Cherno would not give up on them and choose a new team._

_A man in a long dress coat waited for them at the door to the barracks. This wasn't a Vladivostok crew member – she knew almost all the mechanics and crewmen by sight now, and the Shatterdome wouldn't be hiring anyone new now that it was being decommissioned. Sasha thought he bore the look of a Ranger, though – the weary look of one who has looked Kaiju in the eye too many times to count and come away bearing scars inside and out. But he also carried himself with a commanding bearing, a sense of dignity and authority._

" _You put up quite a fight," he noted calmly. "Unique fighting style. Much like your Jaeger's."_

_Sasha raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"_

" _Stacker Pentecost," he replied. "Former Marshal of the Anchorage Shatterdome." He gave a respectful nod. "Might I have a word?"_

* * *

They felt Cherno before they saw him – even across the Shatterdome's Jaeger bay they could sense his joy at their return. Aleksis couldn't help but smile as he made his way forward. Despite being an aged veteran by Jaeger standards, he was so much like a young child in a lot of respects. He half-expected Cherno to come charging out of his hangar and run to meet them, and heaven help the poor soul who happened to be in his way at that moment.

_You're back! You're back! I missed you!_

"Did you doubt we would return?" asked Sasha, laughing softly. "We were only gone an hour."

 _It felt like a lot longer,_ Cherno said petulantly. _I got bored here. Crimson's not talking to me, and Mustang's not interesting now that his Rangers aren't drifting with him. I thought about going out to look for you, but I didn't want to step on anyone._

"That was smart of you," Sasha replied. "Hold on, Cherno. We'll be there in a moment."

By the time they got to the hangar Cherno was practically vibrating with anticipation, much to the chagrin of the repair crews who were working on his reactor tower. Already the Jaeger was looking remarkably improved – most of the tooth and claw marks in his chassis were gone, and the gaping holes left by Kaiju jaws and acid were being slowly filled in. A long set of scratches in his upper chest remained, but otherwise the terrible damage inflicted by Otachi and Leatherback was being slowly erased.

 _I'm keeping the claw marks,_ Cherno told them. _Badge of honor, as you'd say, Papa._

Aleksis laughed. "So long as they do not hurt you, that is fine." He sat down on a crate, pushing the walker away with a weary groan.

_Are you all right, Papa? Your legs still haven't mended._

"They will," he assured the Jaeger. "It is simply a slow process."

_Right… you can't just get them replaced like I can. I forget that humans are so fragile._

"We are more resilient than you might think," Sasha assured him.

Cherno was silent a moment, fidgeting his hands slightly but doing his best to hold still for his repairs. Sasha sat down beside Aleksis and took his hand, weaving her fingers between his. For a few minutes they were content to just sit, to enjoy one another's company. In a way, it wasn't much different from moments back in Vladivostok, when they had come to spend time in Cherno's hangar between engagements and simply be close to the Jaeger. The only difference now was that Cherno was mobile, and able to communicate via words instead of simply images and feelings.

 _What happens now?_ Cherno asked at last. _If the Breach is closed, and there are no more Kaiju… what do we do now?_

For that, Aleksis had no answer. No one had ever talked about what would happen to the Jaegers after the Kaiju War was over, and the PPDC had never made any definite plans. Perhaps they would have been melted down for their valuable metals, or perhaps they would have simply been abandoned in Oblivion Bay. Sasha and Aleksis had never let themselves think about what might happen to Cherno at the end of the war – indeed, they had made it a point to not think too far into the future, to simply enjoy every day they had together in the event that it was their last.

But now the war was over… and Cherno was alive beyond any shadow of a doubt. No one with any empathy would even consider melting him down or dumping him in the Jaeger graveyard now, but that still didn't solve the problem of what would be done with him. Their world was tiny and flimsy, not fit for a Jaeger. He might not be as intentionally destructive as a Kaiju, but the world was no more prepared to accept him than they were the monsters of the Breach.

"For now, little one, we wait," Sasha said at last. "Tendo and Mako have worked to keep you online and safe. I don't think they would give up on you now, after all this."

Cherno seemed to accept that for now. _Are they going to help Crimson too? He's been so… sad… since the fight in the harbor. He's there, I can still feel him, but he won't speak to me. He calls out for his Rangers but they don't answer._

"Tendo will do all that he can," Sasha assured him. "He is a good man. He will not neglect Crimson. But if the Weis do not wake up… he may try to get Crimson to take on other Rangers."

A ripple of doubt tinged Cherno's thoughts. _I don't think he will. Not as long as the Wei Tangs are alive… and maybe not even if they die. They're too close._

Aleksis thought about telling Cherno that Crimson might not have a choice in the matter, but held his tongue. Cherno had firmly rejected the "replacement" Rangers the PPDC had tried to force on him, after all. And the first few Ranger teams Pentecost had selected for Gipsy hadn't been able to manage a neural handshake in her Conn Pod, finally leading him to track down Raleigh and talk him into rejoining the Jaeger program. It shouldn't be so surprising that Crimson, too, would accept no one else besides his original pilots.

Any further thoughts were cut off by a soft cough, and they turned to see Mako standing near the hangar entrance.

"Am I intruding?" she asked softly.

"Come in," Aleksis invited. "You are always welcome here."

Cherno's presence seemed to brighten at the sight of the young Ranger, and he raised one hand and gave her a wave. Mako broke out in a grin and waved back.

"I should be serious about all this," she admitted. "This is something very new, and bears further serious study. But seeing him like this, alive and able to interact with us… it fills me with joy. And he's cute, in a way."

"In a way only two-and-a-half thousand tons of metal can be," Raleigh cut in, walking in behind her. "This is still really cool, though."

"Can we help you?" asked Sasha. "Are you here to check on Cherno?"

Mako nodded. "While you were asleep we had to put our studies of him on hold – he insisted on staying by your side until you awakened. Now that you're up, though, we would like to continue."

Aleksis felt his hackles rise at that. They were going to experiment on Cherno, were they? Not if he could help it. Cherno wasn't a lab rat, something to be poked and prodded at their whim…

"We would do nothing invasive or painful," Mako explained, picking up on his anger. "Simple scans of his programming, an EKG, things of that nature. Something to determine what makes him what he is, and sets him apart from the other Jaegers."

"We don't want to hurt him," Raleigh added. "We just want to understand him better. And if we can understand him, we can know how to better help him… and maybe help Crimson and Mustang too."

The anger drained out of him at that, and he relaxed slightly. "Only if we can be present for whatever tests you run."

"The first test actually requires your presence," Mako explained. "We want to run an EKG scan on the three of you while you communicate. Will you agree to that?"

Aleksis nodded. Sasha considered a moment, then also nodded.

 _What's an EKG?_ asked Cherno. _Will it hurt?_

"It won't hurt," Sasha assured him. "It simply measures brain activity."

_Oh… okay. I'll do it. But it better not hurt._

"He agrees so long as it doesn't hurt," Sasha translated for Mako. "When do you want to start?"

"Right now, if that's all right. Just lead Cherno out into the main bay when you're ready." She offered a polite bow, then walked out with Raleigh.

 _I like them,_ Cherno noted.

"They are good people, and good Rangers," Aleksis acknowledged. True, he hadn't been so sure of them when they had first come to the Hong Kong Shatterdome – one a scarred and unstable veteran, the other an untried rookie, both carrying enough baggage into the drift that they had nearly destroyed Gipsy and a good chunk of the Shatterdome. But if the stories about how they had single-handedly defeated Otachi and Leatherback, and played a big role in Operation Pitfall, were true, then he had a new respect for them. They had earned their stripes, so to speak, and that deserved respect.

And it was obvious that Mako, like her foster father, had the proper respect for Jaegers and Rangers. The fact that Cherno liked her sealed the deal; he would be in good hands here.

* * *

"Dare I ask where you got those?" asked Herc, raising an eyebrow as he watched a medic wire the EKG cap onto Sasha's head. "They ain't exactly standard equipment here."

Mako only smiled. "A lady has to keep some of her secrets, Marshal."

He gave a dry smile. "Good point."

Tendo couldn't say that he'd seen anything quite like this before in his career. He was used to technicians poking around the Jaegers, fine-tuning and upgrading the massive war machines and tweaking them to operate at peak efficiency. But usually the Jaegers were standing immobile in their bays for such things, not sitting cross-legged on the ground and shifting back and forth like an impatient child. And it wasn't exactly customary to have medics on hand either, checking the Rangers' vital signs and hooking them up to monitors. No one expected anything life-threatening to happen during this test, but neither was anyone going to take a chance.

"Cherno wishes to know if this will hurt us," Sasha informed Mako.

Mako shook her head. "An EKG isn't an invasive test. It's only to monitor brain activity."

Tendo's gaze moved up to the LOCCENT, where Bailey and a few other technicians were making a few final checks to the readouts. They would be monitoring any unusual readings from the Jaeger, and seeing what had changed now that he was no longer just a machine. Anything unusual would be transmitted to the holo-display set up near the EKG machines, where they could better analyze it.

 _If we can just figure out the how and why of this,_ Tendo thought, _we can predict if and when it will happen with our other two Jaegers. I'd rather we were prepared for this than to have one of them suddenly spring to life on us. Especially since Crimson doesn't have Rangers to keep him under control at the moment._

"EKG's a go," the medic reported. "We're ready on this end."

"Ready up here!" Bailey called down. "Sending some preliminary readings your way!"

Several graphs showed up on the holo-display. Right away Tendo noticed that despite there being no neural handshake at the moment, the drift was still alive with activity. It was as if Cherno's sentience had locked him in a permanent handshake with his Rangers, albeit a subdued one. They weren't controlling his movements, but there still existed a strong connection between the three of them.

"We've got some odd spikes on the EKG," the medic noted. "Nothing too out of the ordinary, but still noticeable. Can we initiate some conversation between Cherno Alpha and his Rangers?"

Mako nodded and looked up at the Jaeger. "Say something, Cherno."

The Jaeger's entire body tilted to one side, causing the medics and technicians to back away nervously. Tendo almost backed up himself before realizing that Cherno wasn't falling over, simply cocking his head in confusion. A readout of drift activity flared brightly for an instant, registering a sudden influx of energy in the neural handshake.

"He wants to know what he should say," said Sasha.

"Can he tell us when he first became self-aware?" asked Tendo. That was the burning question in his mind – where all this had started, when life truly began.

Cherno straightened, and he raised a hand to his cockpit, much like a human touching their chin in thought. Again the drift readout spiked, then leveled out as it received a steady stream of energy, doubtless corresponding with Cherno's mental speech.

"He says his first memory is of… cold," Sasha translated. "Cold, wind, rain, the ocean… of seeing a boat, and someone washed overboard…" She gasped, pressing a hand over her mouth. "Oh god…"

"What is it?" Raleigh asked. "Is everything all right?"

"Our first drift," she replied, blinking back tears. "Aleksis got caught in a bad memory… I pulled him out. That's what he first saw… oh, poor Cherno…"

Cherno's engines whined, and he held a hand out to his Rangers as if wanting to comfort them.

"I'm all right, Cherno," she assured him. "G-go on…"

He lowered his hand, and this time Aleksis spoke, translating for the Jaeger.

"'I felt fear at first - fear at what was happening, what I was seeing. But then the cold and storm went away, and I felt safe. I could feel my Rangers near, even though I didn't know who they were at the time, and somehow their presence made me feel safe. I felt a connection to them… I loved them. They were part of me, and I was part of them… and as long as we were together, nothing could hurt us.'"

Tendo listened intently. So he had been sentient from the very start. Which meant that there was definitely some spark of life in both Crimson and Mustang… though what would come of that spark, no one was sure yet.

"If you were alive all along, why didn't you start moving on your own until now?" he asked. "What did it take to make you what you are now… if you know?"

Cherno's shoulder joints groaned as he shrugged. Sasha spoke up again.

"'At first I wasn't aware of much. Only my Rangers… their thoughts, their memories, the feeling of safety whenever they were close. Even when they took me into battle, when Kaiju bit and clawed at my armor or pushed me into the ocean, I trusted them. I would have done anything for them… I would still do anything for them.'"

"Did something change somewhere along the line?" asked Tendo.

Aleksis spoke this time. "'Not all at once. It was… gradual. I slowly started to think and feel for myself. They sensed me, felt that I was becoming my own creature, and they accepted and encouraged it. They cheered me on in battle, and in return I helped them fight all the better. They treated me like a member of their team, not a slave or a machine, and it made me want to be better for them in return. They called me their son… and that made me see them as my parents. As family.'"

That would put Cherno on record as the largest adoptive child ever, Tendo thought wryly. "When did you finally become aware enough to start moving?"

Cherno shrugged again, and Sasha translated. "'I wish I could tell you. After the battle in the harbor, I was in pain… but even worse, I could feel my Rangers, my Mama and Papa, fading away from me. I called to them, tried to hold onto them, and I could feel that I almost lost them. I could feel myself… fading. Burning out. But they pulled me back… and I don't know what happened then. But it made me… this. What I am today.'"

Tendo nodded slowly. He wasn't expecting Cherno to fully understand what had happened – he doubted anyone would fully understand, not until they had a chance to study this in much greater depth. But his account would help them. It sounded as if some sort of crucial threshold had been reached with that final drift with his Rangers, a last push to full-on sentience. Conditions had been just right, and it had led, however improbably, to life.

Herc's voice cut into his thoughts at that moment. "Beckett, are you _crying?_ "

"No!" Raleigh said too quickly, scrubbing at his face with his hands. "Sorry… just… memories."

"Memories?" repeated Mako. "Did this happen with Gipsy too?"

Raleigh nodded. "The first time Yancy and I drifted with Gipsy, we felt something… wake up… in the drift. Like a light turning on or… or a third mind suddenly entering the handshake. We thought it was a glitch or something…"

"Keep talking," Tendo ordered. "Gipsy was alive too, you're saying?"

Raleigh nodded. "At first we thought it was just our imaginations, that we were doing it ourselves. You know, like how guys give their cars personalities of their own. But soon it felt like Gipsy was acting on her own at times… or telling us what she wanted to do. She was… she was part of our team. Alive."

Mako hesitated, then chimed in. "I felt it too. When I first drifted with Gipsy, I could feel Raleigh's mind… but also Gipsy's. It was like she was watching me, judging me to see if I was worthy to pilot her." She managed a smile. "I must have passed."

Tendo turned to Herc, who glared back a moment before sighing heavily. "I felt it too. Felt it with my first Jaeger, Lucky Seven… and felt it again with Striker. Lucky didn't last long enough to go too far… but Striker definitely had his own personality before…" He clamped his jaw shut, unwilling to go on.

"You all have an assignment," Tendo stated, looking from one Ranger to another. "Homework, if you will. I want you to write down or record everything you can tell me about your Jaeger – if and when they began developing sentience, the particulars of their personalities, any significant events that affected their development in any way. Submit it to Hermann or Mako as soon as you're done. Whatever's happening here, we have to understand it..."

"Speak of the devil," Herc grumbled as the Shatterdome's scientists charged into the Jaeger bay, both shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Breach there's another Breach holy shit another Breach!" Newt howled, skidding to a stop inches away from a collision with Mako.

"Another crisis, possibly worse than the last!" Hermann added, limping forward as fast as possible. "And Newt, will you CALM yourself and stop gibbering like a baboon!"

"Both of you shut up!" Herc shouted. "What in bloody hell is going on?"

Newt gasped for air before replying. "The drift… that drift we did… with the Kaiju brain…"

"We believe the drift hangover from our neural handshake with Otachi Jr. has allowed us a glimpse at an oncoming crisis," Hermann finished. "Something is coming… I know not what, but it is coming."

Before anyone could ask precisely what Hermann was referring to, an all-too-familiar alarm ripped through the air. Cherno went rigid, and the readout spiked alarmingly.

"Kaiju," Aleksis breathed.

"It can't be," Raleigh said quietly, going pale. "We sealed the Breach…"

"It's a Kaiju, sir!" Bailey called down from the LOCCENT. "Category IV, fifty miles out from Hong Kong and closing in fast! Sir… sir, what do we do?"

Tendo felt panic rising in his gut, and only with supreme effort was he able to lock it down again. "Get Mustang ready for combat!"

"But Tendo, it's not ready!" Hermann protested. "There's still so much testing to be done-"

"We don't have a choice," Tendo told him firmly. "We created Mustang Omega in the event of another Kaiju coming to attack, not so we could have an expensive hobby! Now's the time to put the Mark VI to the ultimate test! Call the Rossis!"

A low rumble issued from Cherno, and all eyes moved to the Mark I. He pushed himself to his feet, towering over the gathered humans, and rumbled again.

"Cherno… are you sure?" Sasha asked.

Another rumble, like a massive bear readying itself for a charge.

"Be careful… please." She turned to Tendo. "Cherno volunteers to go out and fight."

Tendo shook his head. "We can't allow that. He's still not fully repaired…"

"He says we created him for this," Sasha retorted. "To defend humanity, and destroy the Kaiju. He doesn't see how that has changed. He will go out and fight… and he would like to see you try to stop him." She smirked at that last bit.

Technically true, he supposed – if a two-thousand-ton titan wanted its way, there was precious little anyone could do to dissuade him. "All right… but make sure he understands he's doing this at his own risk. We don't want him hurt."

Cherno bobbed his entire body in a nod, then raised his fists and beat them together in his signature battle taunt. The gesture sparked a cheer from the entire hangar, and Tendo himself couldn't help a bit of a smile. Cherno was truly back in action again… he just hoped his first engagement as a sentient being wouldn't also be his last.


	11. A Familiar Foe

_Pentecost's arrival changed everything. Before, they could only rely on the whims of the PPDC to determine their future – whether they would continue to be Rangers or lose Cherno forever. But the former Marshal had given them a choice – though one might argue that there really wasn't a choice when you looked at it properly._

" _The world is ending," he had explained, choosing not to mince words. "How do you want to spend those final days, Mr. and Mrs. Kaidonovsky? Watching your Jaeger gather dust in a museum? Or fighting to the very end… and perhaps saving the world?"_

_Their answer had been immediate… and within hours Cherno Alpha was on his way to Hong Kong, and a new lease on life._

_Aleksis stepped out of the lift and into the Jaeger hangar, looking around. The Hong Kong Shatterdome was huge, bigger than Vladivostok – yet the size only made it feel all the more empty. This base had obviously been designed to house and prepare a few dozen Jaegers, keeping them combat-ready at all times and ready to respond to the call. But almost all the Jaeger hangars were vacant, some still bearing the crests and names of their former occupants._

" _This Shatterdome was designed to deploy thirty Jaegers," Pentecost explained, answering the unspoken question. "Now only two remain… though with any luck we can acquire more."_

" _Which two?" asked Sasha, studying the ruby-colored Jaeger that loomed in the nearest bay._

" _Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon," Pentecost replied._

_Aleksis kept his expression neutral, but inside he winced. Had the number of Jaegers really fallen so low? Were the Kaiju already winning the war?_

" _I'll expect you in my office in an hour for debriefing," Pentecost went on. "Until then, you may take some time to get your Jaeger settled in." And he gave them a brief smile before walking off._

_Aleksis frowned as he watched the Marshal of the Hong Kong Shatterdome disappear into the lift again. Settle in… he'd never heard anyone talk about getting a Jaeger "settled in," as if it were a guest instead of a new piece of equipment. Yet he couldn't have known that Cherno was sentient – they had never told anyone, fearful of the repercussions._

_A bit of half-forgotten information resurfaced – Pentecost had once been a Ranger, before illness had put his co-Ranger out of commission and his Jaeger had been retired. Perhaps his Jaeger had shown signs of life… and perhaps he suspected that other Jaegers shared that trait. It was almost enough to make Aleksis want to tell Pentecost everything…_

_Almost. He didn't know Pentecost well enough to trust him quite yet with the full story. He would give it time._

_Up ahead, heavy cranes were lowering Cherno into his hangar. Aleksis paused and emptied his mind, trying to read their Jaeger's mood. Cherno's mind was a jumble of emotions – confusion at finding himself in a new Shatterdome, lingering grief at Nova's destruction, but also a wary hope at their new situation. He was aware that somehow, by some means, he and his Rangers had received a shot at redemption, and though he had no idea what the future held in store for them, he was determined to make the best of it._

" _He feels the same as we do," Sasha murmured. "We are not so different after all."_

_He nodded. "We have been given another chance. We shall not squander it."_

" _Look out!"_

_Aleksis turned… and quickly pulled Sasha out of the way as an orange projectile whirled through the air where they had just been standing. The ball ricocheted off a supply cart and bounced across the bay floor, scattering a few mechanics, before rolling to rest at Cherno's massive left foot._

_A burst of curiosity pulsed from Cherno, and Aleksis half-expected him to bend over and pick up the basketball to study it more closely. He shook his head, chasing the fanciful thought away, as a young man jogged over and stooped to pick up the ball._

" _Sorry," he said with an apologetic grin._

" _It is fine," Sasha assured him. "We were not hit."_

_The young man nodded and tucked the ball under his arm. Tall and lean, with light bronze skin and short-cropped hair, he moved with effortless grace, almost like a dancer. But Aleksis saw the signs that this man was no dancer, but a Ranger – the way he held his head and shoulders high, with pride, and the glint in his eyes as he turned to study the newly arrived Mark I._

" _You are the new Rangers?" he asked finally._

" _Yes," Sasha replied. "We are Team Cherno Alpha."_

_His smile widened. "Wonderful! Welcome to Hong Kong! I am Cheung Wei. My brothers and I are Team Crimson Typhoon."_

_Aleksis nodded. He recognized the name – Crimson Typhoon, one of the newer Mark IV Jaegers, had caused quite a stir among the PPDC for being the only Jaeger with three pilots instead of two. Critics had argued that a drift between two Rangers was difficult enough, and finding three pilots compatible enough to engage in a neural handshake would be virtually impossible. To everyone's surprise, however, not only had the Chinese Jaeger program found Rangers for its experimental Jaeger, but Crimson had gone on to have one of the highest Kaiju kill counts in the program._

" _We are honored to meet you," Sasha told him, and a smile bloomed on her face. "We have heard much of Crimson."_

" _And we have heard much of Cherno." Cheung bowed. "The honor is mine."_

_Aleksis opened his mouth to give a greeting of his own… then shut it as an eerie thrum filled the bay. Personnel stopped in their tracks a moment, as if the sound were a signal for all to cease their activities and pay tribute to its maker. But most of the mechanics and techs simply shook their heads and went about their business, ignoring the hum despite how it filtered through flesh and bone and set one's teeth to vibrating._

" _Oh… that's Crimson," Cheung said apologetically, ducking his head slightly. "His reactor… ah, makes noises at times. It's harmless."_

_Another noise filled the air, as if trying to harmonize with Crimson's thrumming – a deep, metallic rumble of an engine, almost like the purring of a gigantic cat. Again, the occupants of the bay froze, this time not moving as the strange sound mingled with the hum of Crimson's reactor. Many eyes turned to Cherno, staring, wondering if the sound wasn't a portent of things to come…_

_Both Jaegers went silent at the same moment, and a sense of pleasure, almost joy, radiated from Cherno. The confusion and grief of before were dimmed now, replaced with relief and satisfaction. Aleksis couldn't suppress a smile now. He hadn't felt Cherno this happy since before Nova had… died, for lack of a better word. Their Jaeger was no longer alone, and with time would perhaps forge a new friendship with Crimson Typhoon._

" _Cherno," Aleksis said by way of explanation. "He makes noises as well."_

_Cheung's gaze moved to the battered Mark I, and a smile of understanding crossed his face. "They seem to take well to each other."_

" _Indeed," Sasha replied. "They will fight well together."_

_Cheung laughed and gestured for them to follow him. "Let me introduce you to Hu and Jin. We can tell you more of Crimson… and you can tell us more of Cherno. I want to hear the stories!"_

_Aleksis set off after the Chinese Ranger, Sasha right at his side. This was a first for him – another Ranger all but confirming that he, too, knew of the Jaegers' sentience. That alone made the Kaidonovskys look upon the Wei Tang triplets with new respect._

* * *

A silver-gray sky hung low overhead as Cherno Alpha waded into the harbor to meet the oncoming Kaiju, every step taken with great care as if he were walking across thin ice. It was eerily quiet – all boats had been recalled from the harbor, and much of the coastline had been evacuated as a precaution. Even the birds had fled, sensing the incoming threat and fleeing for safer grounds. The only sounds were Cherno's thunderous footfalls on the sea floor and the hollow roar of the waves.

In the LOCCENT, Tendo, Mako, Raleigh, Herc, Sasha, and Aleksis gathered to watch the battle play out on the multiple screens, the tension so thick in the air it seemed to stifle any attempts at speech. This was by far the worst part of the battle – the horrid suspense as they waited for the Kaiju to present itself, seeing what kind of monster would emerge from the sea to threaten their shores. The fact that this battle would be unprecedented in the history of the Kaiju War, with one experimental Jaeger and one sentient Jaeger facing off against the beast, didn't exactly help matters.

Sasha squeezed Aleksis' hand until he hissed in pain. Despite Cherno's size, he looked so small on the screen, a toy sent out to stop a ravening monster. And this time they weren't out there with him, aiding and encouraging him… he was on his own.

Tendo finally broke the silence. "Cherno Alpha, you're to hold the miracle mile at all costs. No heroics – just keep it from progressing until Mustang Omega can join you. Do you understand your orders?"

The readout screen went blank, then a line of Cyrillic scrolled across it. I COPY.

Tendo nodded. "Mustang will join you as soon as the Rossis are suited up and in the Conn Pod. Until then you're on your own."

I CAN DO THIS. I'M A MARK I. I'VE DONE THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE.

A smile played at the corners of Tendo's mouth. "Don't get too cocky, Cherno."

The sea boiled a kilometer from Cherno's position, and a hideous head erupted from the water, throwing its head back and belting out a throaty roar. Even filtered through the LOCCENT's audio system, the sound was deafening, and Sasha felt a thrill of fear run up her spine at the memory. Every Kaiju had a unique sound, but this one sounded painfully familiar…

"It's Otachi," Raleigh murmured. "Good god, they cloned her…"

"Newt warned us they were clones," Herc replied. "Stands to reason that if one type was effective, they'd make more of 'em."

The winged Kaiju closed her maw partway, letting it gape slightly open in a sinister grin as she stalked closer to Cherno. Her pincer-tipped tail swept from side to side, sending water flying in great sheets. Yellow eyes narrowed calculatingly, and rivulets of blue-tinged saliva drooled from her open jaws, sending up clouds of steam wherever they hit the water.

Sudden fear bloomed in Sasha's chest… but it wasn't her own. Cherno recognized her, and the memory of what Otachi had done to him made him recoil instinctively. On the screen the Jaeger backed up a step, hands raised as if he were trying to ward off an unfriendly dog.

"Cherno, no," she murmured. "Stand strong! You can fight her… you can win!"

Doubt and terror roiled through their bond, and the readout flashed again. CAN'T… I CAN'T…

"What's the matter with him?" demanded Herc.

"He's scared," Aleksis snapped. "And can you blame him? Otachi and her ugly comrade nearly destroyed him!"

"Scared or not, he has a job to do out there!" Herc retorted. "He's gotta at least hold her back 'til Mustang gets out there!"

Sasha tightened her grip on Aleksis' hand, feeling the many rings he wore bite into her palm. _Cherno, love… we're here for you. Maybe we're not in your Conn Pod, physically with you, but we are here and will never leave you. You can do this. You are stronger than your fear._

Cherno continued to pulse with fear, memories of searing acid and tearing teeth filling his mind. He continued to back away from Otachi, his trembling visible on the screen. The cloned Kaiju – Otachi 2.0, as it were – seemed to grin wider at seeing the Jaeger's hesitation, and she slunk closer, tail twitching like that of a cat about to pounce.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Herc grumbled. "Cherno's a fraidy-cat."

"Why isn't Mustang out there already?" demanded Raleigh. "The Rossis should be helping him!"

"There's interference with the RC signal from the Conn Pod," Tendo replied tersely, features taut with worry. "The techs are trying to identify the source and get it shut down. Until then he's on his own."

Otachi sprang at that moment, screeching a battle cry. Cherno staggered to one side, and the Kaiju's hide scraped his plating as it charged past him. For a heart-stopping moment Sasha feared Otachi would make a dash for the city, but she twisted around and snapped at Cherno again, her jaws grazing the plating on his arm. He stumbled back, taking a half-hearted swing at the beast, but she kept on him, clawing and snapping.

 _Come on, Cherno!_ Sasha urged. _Fight her! We know you can do this!_

More text spewed out across the readout: GET AWAY GET AWAY LEAVE ME ALONE DON'T HURT ME JUST GO AWAY

The Kaiju reared her head back, and for a moment Sasha could have sworn she was laughing. Then a familiar blue fluid began boiling up from her throat, dribbling from her lips as she prepared to spit…

A sleek black form rammed into Otachi's side, sending her sprawling. The acidic venom jetted harmlessly out to sea – well, harmlessly to all but some unfortunate fish.

"Sorry we're late, sir!" Lance's voice came clear and strong over the LOCCENT's radio feed. "We were having some technical difficulties!"

"You're just in time, Mustang," Tendo replied, voice thick with relief. "Hold the miracle mile. Otachi can't be allowed to make landfall at any cost!"

"Got it, sir," Lexie replied. "Let's kick her ass, Lance."

Lance whooped, and Mustang pumped the air with both fists. That nearly proved to be fatal – Otachi recovered and rounded on the newcomer savagely, acid-coated teeth bared to tear a chunk out of the Mark VI. Mustang sprang back, and her jaws clashed shut on empty air. Cherno took advantage of Otachi's distraction to scramble out of the way, leaving the Mark VI and the Kaiju to duke it out alone.

 _Oh Cherno…_ Sasha couldn't hold back the sinking feeling of disappointment. She wanted no harm to come to him, and yet she had so hoped he would come out of this battle triumphant. She had not expected a surrender, fear overcoming his will to fight. Nor had she expected the Kaiju to be a replica of one of the two who had nearly reduced him to scrap months ago.

Otachi growled and struck again, one winged forelimb slamming into the spot between Mustang's shoulders with enough force to make the Jaeger's knees buckle. Such a blow would have crushed a Conn Pod… had there been one to destroy. As it was, Mustang only wobbled unsteadily a moment before straightening up again, none the worse for the wear save some marred paint. Otachi blinked, obviously confused that a proven tactic had failed.

That was all the opening Mustang needed. It grabbed Otachi by one forelimb and a head-prong and heaved it to the side, slamming it into the ocean floor. The beast screamed in outrage, flailing to get away, but Mustang held on, wrestling the beast beneath the waves. Claws raked at its chassis, stripping away paint in narrow slashes, but Mustang hardly seemed to notice the blows.

"It's like _Mortal Kombat,_ " Lance laughed. "Only cooler!"

" _Kaiju Kombat!_ " Lexie replied. "Why'd they never make a game based on THAT?"

"Can the chatter, you two, and focus!" Herc barked. "You can banter when that thing's dead!"

"Killjoy," Lexie grumbled, but shut up.

Finally Otachi wrestled herself away and backed up, panting and glaring at Mustang. Mustang raised its hands, tauntingly beckoning Otachi closer in a "come at me, bro" gesture. Sasha couldn't help a critical frown. Taunts were a regular occurrence during Kaiju encounters, but such a brazen one seemed in poor taste right now.

The Kaiju responded with a bellow and charged, another round of acid swelling her throat. She spat… and Mustang's left side was sprayed down before it could get out of the way. A collective gasp filled the LOCCENT, and Tendo in particular leaned close to the screen, almost holding his breath as he watched for damage.

"That's gross," Lexie muttered.

"Any hull breaches, Mustang?" Tendo demanded. "Acid damage?"

"None, sir. It's holding well. Takes more than hocking a loogie to take this bad boy down."

Tendo gusted out a sigh. "Excellent. Try not to take any more acid shots and get that stuff rinsed off as soon as Otachi's down. We designed it to be acid resistant, but I'd rather not take chances."

Otachi huffed loudly, obviously unhappy that the acid spit was no longer effective. She lashed out again, this time striking with her tail. The wicked pincers closed on Mustang's left arm, tightening their grip until the plating began to buckle.

"Oy, leggo!" Lance shouted, and a curved blade slid out of Mustang's right arm. With a bright flash of titanium the Kaiju's tail parted, leaving a bloody stump still attached to Otachi and the rest of the limb still clutching Mustang's arm, squirming and flailing convulsively.

Otachi's scream was more of anger than pain as she backed away, never taking her eyes off Mustang. She shuffled from foot to foot, obviously confused by this new Jaeger.

"Cherno, Mustang, finish her now!" Herc shouted. "'Fore she gets it in her head to fly off!"

"Roger-dodger!" Lance replied. "Hey ugly, wanna fight? No? Then we'll bring the fight to you!"

Otachi screeched and spread her wings, ready to take the fight elsewhere. Before she could take off, however, Mustang's chest panels slid open, revealing a bank of anti-Kaiju missiles.

"Hasta la vista, bitch," Lexie growled. "Fire!"

The missiles impacted messily against Otachi's head and chest, carving craters out of her flesh, obliterating her face and punching holes in her outspread wings. Her final death cry was a gurgling howl as her throat was shredded, and bright blue blood and acid dyed the ocean around her a brilliant azure. She collapsed, thrashing, limbs flailing and sending sprays of water and ichor through the air.

Mustang strode closer, arm raised, and offered the _coup de grace_ – a blade through the ruined remains of Otachi's chest, skewering her heart. The Kaiju shuddered convulsively and went still, a shredded organic wreck stranded in the shallows of the harbor.

"Fatality!" crowed Lance. "I mean… she's dead, sir."

Applause rang from the LOCCENT. Tendo slumped in relief, and Herc gave a grudging nod of satisfaction. Even Raleigh looked happy, though he shot a guilty glance at the Kaidonovskys. Mako, for her part, was expressionless, and Sasha wondered what her opinion was of Mustang's first fight.

"Not bad for first-timers," he told them. "Rinse off best you can before you come back to the Shatterdome. Where's Cherno?"

"Didn't know we were his babysitters," Lexie muttered. "We lost track of him during the fight."

"There he is," Raleigh replied, pointing at the screen.

Sasha's heart clenched in combined relief and pity. Cherno was at the docks… and he was crouched down behind several towering stacks of cargo containers as if trying to hide, shaking so hard his plating rattled.

* * *

"Well, that was an embarrassment," grumbled Herc.

"Enough," Tendo snapped. "The important thing is that the second Otachi was stopped before she could make landfall. And we now know Mustang Omega is effective in battle."

Herc snorted. "Yeah, an' the public got to see a Jaeger run an' hide from a Kaiju! How's that gonna look for the Jaeger program? Like we've got a bunch of cowards as Rangers!"

"That's enough!" Tendo repeated. "You've made your point quite clearly, Hansen."

Sasha wondered if the two Shatterdome leaders knew – or cared – that she and Aleksis could hear them. She knew telling them to take the conversation elsewhere would be insubordination, but her anger was swiftly reaching the point where she didn't care. Cherno felt horrible enough about his failure – he didn't need their insults on top of everything.

Mustang Omega's victory over Otachi's clone had done wonders for the Rossis' reputation in the Shatterdome. Their Conn Pod had scarcely opened before they were surrounded by cheering crews and techs, and only Lexie's insistence had kept them from being hoisted up on the crowd's shoulders and paraded about the Jaeger Bay. They were currently being treated to drinks in the mess hall, and crews now swarmed over the Mark VI to double-check for damages and paint over the claw marks. If Mustang possessed any degree of sentience, Sasha was sure he would be preening over the attention right now.

Cherno, meanwhile, was being virtually ignored. A helicopter had carried the Kaidonovskys to the dock to coax him out of hiding, and they had managed to lead him back into the Shatterdome. He was given a wide berth as he made his way back to his hangar and slumped to the floor, and no one would even look at him, much less try to talk to his Rangers. It was as if this battle had made him a pariah within his own home.

"It was a psychological tactic," said Tendo. "They were hoping to demoralize us by using an infamous Kaiju, one that had a track record for destroying Jaegers. And it worked far better than I'm sure they were expecting."

Herc snorted. "Never would have thought Cherno of all Jaegers would be scared of a Kaiju, given who his Rangers are. An' he seemed all eager to go out an' fight. Wonder what the civilians thought when they saw a Jaeger runnin' scared an' hiding like a child."

"We'll deal with that if the press comes knocking," Tendo replied. "For now the story will be that Cherno's being piloted by a rookie team, and they panicked during the engagement. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened."

"An' what happens next time?" demanded Herc. "What if a Kaiju shows up that Mustang can't defeat? What if there's another double event? Dammit, we can't keep this up with only one functional Jaeger!"

"We'll figure something out," Tendo replied, somewhat testily. "For now we have a meeting with our science team to worry about – they're trying to get some sort of report written about what they saw in the drift. Goodness knows we need all the information we can get if we're going to have another Kaiju War on our hands…"

Their voices trailed off, and Sasha felt something in her gut relax at that. Had they stuck around any longer, she probably would have marched out there and told them off – or worse, come out swinging.

Cherno gave a low whine, and she patted his massive chest in an effort to console him. The Jaeger sat in the back of his hangar, leaning against the wall, his Rangers cupped in one hand against his chest. They leaned against him comfortingly, assuring him that he was still their pride and joy, still the best of the Jaegers, and it wasn't his fault that he still bore the trauma of his last battle, the mental scars that had flamed anew at the sight of the winged Kaiju.

_Mama… Papa… I'm sorry._

"Don't," Aleksis growled. "Don't be sorry. You have NOTHING to be sorry for."

_I'm sorry I embarrassed you. I know you were hoping I'd go out there and pound the Kaiju to a pulp and make you proud. I just… couldn't do it. I looked into her eyes and I felt the old pain again, felt her and Leatherback tearing me apart, trying to reach and kill both of you… and I couldn't face that again._

Sasha rested her cheek against the warm metal of his chest. "Cherno… you make us proud no matter what. You were scared, and that is a perfectly natural reaction. We… we should have been there with you, and for that I am sorry."

 _You're still hurt though. If you had gone out with me and been hurt worse… I never would have forgiven myself._ He raised his free hand, as if wanting to touch or hug them, but lowered it again, fear of hurting them worse than they already were bleeding through their bond. _I promise I won't fail you next time. I'll fight, no matter how frightened I am._

"We will not force you to fight," Aleksis told him. "If you are frightened, tell us. We will not see you damaged simply to prove something. Especially to those hotheaded pretenders who dare call themselves Rangers."

Cherno emitted a deep thrum, as if sighing deeply. _Thank you, Papa. I'll fight again someday… but I think I need some time._

"Take whatever time you need," Sasha assured him. Privately she could only hope he would get that time, and that Tendo and Hercules didn't force him onto the battlefield before he was ready… or worse, write him off as useless.

Cherno had relaxed by now, his engines settling into a contented purr, but he suddenly jerked, every joint locking up. _Something's happening._

"What is it?" Sasha asked, pushing away from his chest.

_Something's going to happen… I just feel it. Something with Crimson…_

Sasha turned toward the red Jaeger's hangar, her gut clenching with apprehension. Had Crimson just felt one of his Rangers die? Or was something else happening…

Cherno cupped Sasha and Aleksis in his hands, lowering them to the floor. _Run! Mama, Papa, run! Get out of here!_

"We won't leave-" began Aleksis.

 _Run!_ Cherno ordered. _Crimson's awake… fully awake, like me! And he's MAD!_

They had spent all their lives putting their utmost trust in their Jaeger – they weren't going to disobey him now. Sasha grabbed Aleksis by the arm and pulled him out of the hangar as fast as his aching legs would allow. Their flight earned them a few curious stares, but she didn't stop to explain anything. She doubted they would believe her anyhow.

They were halfway to the lift when a metallic roar filled the bay, followed by the groaning of massive joints bending after lying inactive for too long. The floor shook as a titanic foot slammed into it, toppling stacks of crates and making crews and techs stagger with the impact. Screams rang through the air, and techs and mechanics scattered in all directions as another footstep shook the bay.

Another roar split the air, followed by a wicked buzz. Sasha didn't need to turn around to know what was happening – Crimson was awake, and he had activated his buzzsaw weapons. The Shatterdome was about to experience another violent Jaeger birth, worse than the last.


	12. Crimson's Return

_It was a horrible sight for anyone who worked closely with the Jaegers – crews, technicians, officers, and especially the Rangers themselves. Seeing the destruction wrecked by a Kaiju was never a pleasant sight, and said damage only looked nastier up close. It wasn't just the ugliness of torn metal and savaged internal components that shook those who saw it, though; it was seeing one of humanity's protectors brought low, realizing that their metallic guardians weren't invincible. One didn't think of their heroes as being able to bleed, after all._

_If it was terrible for the humans, however, it was doubly horrifying for the Jaegers themselves._

_A high keening rose from Cherno's engines as the chassis of the newcomer was lowered into place, still dripping with rainwater. He didn't recognize the new one right away, but that didn't keep him from feeling a surge of horror – and pity – as he saw her damages through his Rangers' eyes. One arm was gone, doubtless ripped away by a titanic set of jaws, and a ragged hole gaped open in her chest. Her Conn Pod, too, lay open, its interior exposed and its viewscreen shattered. Ugly scratches and dents marred her steel-blue armor, like badly-healed battle scars._

_The obvious battle damages were bad enough… but Cherno's internals churned at the sight of rust setting in along the edges of her wounds, and traces of dirt still embedded in her seams and joints. This wasn't a freshly-damaged Jaeger – this was a Jaeger who had lain in Oblivion Bay, abandoned and left to rot for the crime of having outlived her usefulness._

_A shudder went through his chassis. He had never seen Oblivion Bay for himself, but he'd heard the stories – his Rangers had spoken of it in disdainful tones, and Eden had occasionally teased and tormented him with tales about it at night. It was a place of nightmares, strewn with the corpses of Jaegers who had been ravaged beyond repair by their Kaiju foes, or who had been written off as outdated by the PPDC. Eden had spoken of it as being haunted by the ghosts of their kin, screaming for vengeance or crying out for their Rangers. Even his Rangers had heard the stories of it being haunted, though they had written them off as urban legends._

_Cherno, for his part, had always been terrified by any mention of Oblivion Bay. For he knew he was an old model, running well past his intended functioning time, and he feared that someday he would be considered outdated and irrelevant… and cast off as useless. Just like so many other Jaegers… just like this one._

_Crimson's presence pressed against his in a comforting "lean," trying to soothe him. He was still functioning perfectly, Crimson argued, and only a fool would think he was useless and irrelevant. Besides, if this newcomer – Gipsy Danger, Crimson supplied – had come from Oblivion Bay, then it meant that being sent there wasn't necessarily a death sentence._

_Cherno ignored that last part and focused on the newcomer. Gipsy Danger… that name was familiar. A Mark III, assigned to the Anchorage Shatterdome, piloted by a set of brothers. Beyond that, he knew little about her… save that she had been savaged by the Kaiju Knifehead, killing one of her pilots and disgracing the other._

_Perhaps that was why she had been relegated to Oblivion Bay, he thought with another shudder. Not because she was outdated or beyond repair, but because saving Anchorage from Knifehead had come at the cost of her own reputation. It was bad enough to lose an entire Jaeger team, but somehow the shame of surviving the death of your Jaeger or Rangers was even worse._

_Another "nudge" from Crimson shook him out of his dark thoughts. The red Jaeger was curious – he wanted to know more about this newcomer, and find out how she would fit in, if at all. Cherno hesitated. Whatever Gipsy's story was, it had to be core-breaking and tragic. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear it._

_Crimson nudged harder, exasperated. Even if her history was depressing, she deserved to share it. Cherno couldn't avoid talking to her just because he didn't want to hear about something upsetting. Gipsy was obviously hurting – not just from her damages, but from her loss and isolation. She deserved to tell her story, and to gain some comfort from talking to her fellows._

_Reluctantly, Cherno agreed. He gave a soft, welcoming thrum of his engines, reaching out to the broken Mark III. She was welcome here, he let her know. It was lonely, just the two of them, and they would enjoy her company._

_Gipsy was silent. Cherno's thrum cut off with a puzzled whine. Usually whenever he met a new Jaeger, they were eager to talk. Why was she so quiet?_

_Crimson picked up where Cherno left off, giving a hum of his own. They couldn't begin to know how it felt to lose a Ranger, but they offered condolences for her loss. They knew she was hurting, and they were sympathetic._

_A low whine echoed from Gipsy's engines, a whine that rose in pitch to a horrific screech. Crews scattered in terror, clamping their hands over their ears, and technicians rushed to shut her engines down, certain that it was an internal malfunction causing the noise. Cherno and Crimson wanted to recoil at the eerie, piercing cry, but neither could move. They could only stand and listen as Gipsy continued her grieving howl._

_A blast of emotion lashed out at them, and a pair of names blazed through her thoughts – Yancy, Raleigh._

_Then Gipsy went abruptly silent. Her engines died down to a ragged idle, and slowly the techs and crews returned to their work stations, wondering what in hell had just happened. But the ache of her grief remained, hanging in the air like the bitter stench of Kaiju Blue._

_Not for the first time, Cherno wished he could move on his own. He wanted to go to Gipsy and hug her as he'd often seen his Rangers embrace each other, comfort her and let her know she wasn't alone. He settled for a slight "lean," keening softly with worry. He was sorry about her Ranger… he couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose Sasha and Aleksis. And he couldn't bring Yancy back from the dead or summon Raleigh for her. But he was here for her._

_Crimson added his own comforting hum, reassuring Gipsy that what had happened in Anchorage wasn't her fault. It was a horrible accident, nothing more. And wherever Raleigh was, he was certain he hadn't forgotten her. How could a Ranger forget their Jaeger, after all, when they had spent so much time in the drift together?_

_Gipsy keened again, the sound still high and eerie with sorrow. But she didn't scream this time, despite the tremor that passed through her chassis at the memory of her Rangers. Her soft keening rose and fell in pitch, until it found harmony with Cherno and Crimson's humming, finally accepting their welcome._

_It wasn't the end of Gipsy's grieving or pain. But it was a start to her healing, and she was no longer alone in her suffering._

* * *

_And here I thought Operation Pitfall would be the end of our problems,_ Tendo thought with a sigh. _We all should have known it wouldn't be that simple._

Five people were gathered in the Shatterdome's small conference room, a dim and low-ceilinged room that stank of rust and rancid seawater. Newt and Hermann had just finished describing what they had seen in their drift-induced nightmares, and both scientists waited in uncomfortable silence as the others processed their words. The only sounds were the gurgle of water passing through the pipes that snaked over their heads and the faint hum of the fluorescent lights.

Finally Herc brought a fist down on the table. "Shit. It never ends, does it?"

"At least we're far more prepared for this attack than the last," Tendo assured him. "We know how to fight the Kaiju now, and we have at least one Jaeger fully operational and ready to fight. We don't precisely have the capacity to create more at this time, but with the Kaiju War re-igniting, I don't see why the PPDC wouldn't extend our funding."

"Or they'll just redouble their efforts to build their bleedin' wall," Herc huffed.

"Bailey, status report," Tendo requested, ignoring Herc. "How's the media taking this?"

"They're all over it," she replied with a wince. "Like sharks at the smell of blood, I guess. Footage of Otachi 2.0 is on every major news network by now. Though on the bright side, so's footage of the Mark VI. This may be bad news for the war… but its wonderful publicity for the Jaeger program."

Tendo nodded. One bright spot to this whole mess, at least. And proof to the PPDC that keeping the Jaeger program going had not been in vain. "Status report on Mustang Omega?"

"Mustang's first battle went off with only one hiccup," she replied, looking down at the tablet in her hands. "Some sort of radio interference prevented RC signals from reaching the Jaeger. Once we identified the source and shut it down, it worked perfectly."

"And what was that source?"

Here Bailey looked apprehensive. "The police say it was Kaiju cultists. They were using a jury-rigged signal jammer to sabotage the RC signal."

Newt scowled. "Geez, don't those guys ever give up?"

Tendo pressed his fingertips to his temples, as if that could stop the headache he felt brewing in his skull. Before now the Kaiju cult had always been little more than an annoyance, their interference with the Jaeger program limited to picketing outside the Shatterdome and the occasional attempt to leak something scandalous to the press. Pentecost had known they had spies within the Shatterdome and had done his best to weed them out, but said plants had never attempted to cause direct harm to the Rangers or Jaegers.

What had changed to lead the Kaiju cult to escalate their attacks on the Jaeger program? And more importantly, could they stop a repeat occurrence? The cultists knew Mustang's primary weakness now, and he had a sick feeling that this wouldn't be their first attempt to exploit it.

"The police catch the blighters responsible?" demanded Herc.

"Most of them – a few got away."

"Where there's one, there are bound to be more," Hermann noted fatalistically. "We have to take a more proactive stance against them – not only are they fanatics on a level that would put even Dr. Geizler to shame-"

"Hey!" Newt yelped.

"-but they have just proven themselves to be highly dangerous! What if we hadn't stopped them before Otachi II reached the city? Cherno couldn't or wouldn't stop her, and everything we've worked so hard to protect would have been for nothing!"

"It's a valid concern," Tendo agreed. "But at the moment the Kaiju cult is the lesser of two evils. At the moment our biggest priority is twofold – find the new Breach, and find this underwater base. The sensory network around the original Breach was destroyed during Operation Pitfall, but the rest of the network is still intact, so hopefully we can pinpoint locations before the next event."

"And what about Mustang?" asked Bailey. "Yes, it works, but one Jaeger against a whole new Breach is pretty hopeless odds."

"We have three Jaegers, not just one," Tendo pointed out.

"Crimson won't function without pilots," Herc countered, "an' Cherno panicked at the sight of a Kaiju! We can't count on 'em!"

"Have a little faith, Hansen," Tendo replied. "Cherno Alpha may be the oldest Jaeger, but he's still a sentient – and emotional – being. We should have expected there to be difficulties in pitting him against a Kaiju so soon after coming to life, especially a replica of the one that nearly destroyed him in the past. As for Crimson… the Weis should be arriving any moment now, and once the medics have cleared them we'll attempt a drift."

"And that is supposed to accomplish what exactly?" asked Hermann skeptically. "Bringing Crimson to life and leaving us with two uncontrollable Jaegers?"

"Enough," Tendo said firmly. "Cherno is not uncontrollable, nor is he useless. I have complete faith that today's battle was a fluke, and that the next time he goes out against a Kaiju he will be more effective. We have to give him another chance…"

A thunderous BOOM cut off the rest of his sentence, and he could feel the vibrations of something heavy striking the ground through his chair. Every pair of eyes jerked in the direction of the Jaeger bay in response.

"Goddammit, Cherno, what did you do now?" Herc grumbled.

Before Tendo could say anything, his radio went off. He quickly touched his earpiece. "What-"

"Crimson Typhoon is awake!" Mako shouted, sounding urgent but not panicked… yet. "He has his melee weapons activated and is trying to get out!"

It felt as if the bottom had dropped out of Tendo's stomach. Crimson awake? He hadn't even had a drift with his Rangers yet! What could possibly have happened to cause him to suddenly cross the line to full-on sentience? And with his weapons activated… what kind of damage was he going to do before they could stop him?

The conference room shook again, and he decided those questions would have to wait. First priority was getting Crimson calmed down before he wrecked the Shatterdome.

"Jesus!" Newt shouted, gripping the arms of his chair. "What, is Cherno having a tantrum?"

"It's Crimson," Tendo replied shortly. "He's awake."

"That's impossible!" Herc snapped. "The Weis just hardly got here! We ain't even done a handshake yet!"

"Apparently it's possible," Tendo retorted. "Geizler, Gottfried, you're dismissed. Hansen, Rossi, to the LOCCENT now!"

* * *

Aleksis tugged Sasha toward Gipsy's empty hangar, and they huddled there, watching the red Jaeger stumble awkwardly across the bay. His legs throbbed in agony, but he ignored them for now. Crimson held his entire attention – indeed, he could do little but watch in horror as the Mark IV plowed through cranes and machinery, slashing his arms to cut through the catwalks and crane booms that blocked his path. A horrible howling roar filled the bay, a thunder of engines that somehow managed to sound angry… and frightened.

Someone else stumbled into the hangar, and Aleksis turned to see Raleigh trying to pull Mako inside to safety.

"We have to help him!" Mako insisted, glaring at her fellow Ranger.

"You're no help to anyone if you're roadkill!" Raleigh pointed out. "We can't do anything until they shut down his power supply!"

"That will kill him!" Mako insisted.

"We don't know that!" Raleigh retorted. "And this is different than with Cherno – Cherno wasn't trying to tear the Shatterdome apart! Crimson's gonna kill someone if this keeps up!"

Aleksis hugged Sasha close to his chest as Crimson lurched closer to their hangar, flattening a transport on the way. His saws buzzed wickedly, and his Conn Pod swiveled back and forth on its "neck" joint frantically. Crimson was as blind as Cherno had been on the day of his full sentience, making him all the more dangerous.

He couldn't suppress a shudder. Somehow seeing a Jaeger on the rampage was worse than watching a Kaiju wreak havoc. For Jaegers were supposed to be protectors, not destroyers, and to see one so wantonly crush and destroy like this make his gut roil.

The LOCCENT was blazing with activity, techs struggling to get Crimson shut down or to establish some kind of communication with him. As if their efforts were drawing him like a moth to a flame, he turned in the LOCCENT's direction. He took a step toward it, saw raised, an angry growl rumbling in his chest.

"God, no," Raleigh whispered. "We have to stop him!"

"His Rangers aren't here," Sasha pointed out, her voice calm despite the fact that her nails were digging into Aleksis' arm. "We have no way to communicate with him."

"There's got to be something we can do!"

Crimson slashed once, his saw missing the LOCCENT by a handspan. He raised his arm to try again… and staggered to the side as a massive form slammed into him.

"Cherno!" Aleksis called out in mingled relief and terror.

Crimson shook his Conn Pod, then gave another roar and slashed in a wide arc that missed Cherno by a good distance. The Mark I backed up a step, bracing his legs, and slammed his fists together in his signature taunt. Then he raised one foot and stomped, making the entire bay shake as if struck by an earthquake.

In response to the taunt Crimson growled again, and his saw-blades retracted. He flexed all three fists and leaped forward, clipping Cherno's shoulder before he could get out of the way. Cherno continued to back up, stomping with every step, occasionally crouching down to strike the floor with a fist – a mere tap compared to his usual strength but still enough to rattle their bones.

"What's he doing?" Raleigh demanded.

"Drawing Crimson's attention," Mako replied. "Crimson cannot see or hear, but he can feel vibration. He's luring him away from the LOCCENT, away from where he can do harm."

Aleksis forced himself to breathe even as he watched. Good Cherno… clever Cherno… he had seen right away what needed done and how best to do it. He only hoped it wouldn't get their Jaeger killed, so soon after he had finally gained true sentience.

Crimson's foot caught on a toppled crane, and he staggered. Cherno saw his opening and charged, and the impact of the two titans colliding rang through the air like a metallic explosion. They grappled together, Crimson flailing wildly and trying to push Cherno away, Cherno struggling to get the Mark IV in some kind of restraining hold. All the while Crimson continued to snarl, while Cherno emitted a soft hum as if trying to soothe the other Jaeger.

 _Crimson, stop!_ His voice rang in Aleksis' mind, despite being directed at the other Jaeger. _Crimson, you're hurting people! Hold still!_

The red Jaeger bellowed, cuffing Cherno over his reactor tower. Cherno reeled but didn't let go.

_I don't know where they are… but please, you have to stop this! You're destroying our home! If you keep this up, they'll shut you down! Please, stop fighting!_

Crimson gave another bellow as Cherno finally pinned his arms to his sides, squeezing him tightly in a bear hug. He writhed, his howl rising in pitch until it became a horrible scream that stabbed into Aleksis' ears like knives.

 _He wants his Rangers,_ Cherno told Aleksis, sounding helpless. _He knows he felt them close by… he wants them to be right here with him. He won't give up until he's by their side._

Aleksis nodded. He understood all too well – the separation from one's drift partner, be they human or Jaeger, was all too painful. Crimson was in agony, angry and terrified that he could feel his Rangers so close but still so far away. And he would get to their sides at all costs, even if it meant ripping the Shatterdome apart on the way.

Crimson bucked and thrashed in an effort to break Cherno's grip, but Cherno held on tightly. The red Jaeger arched his back, giving one final scream, before going limp, keening mournfully. Cherno tilted his reactor tower forward until it touched Crimson's Conn Pod, his own keen joining Crimson's in a melancholy harmony.

"It's like whalesong," Raleigh murmured. "All that time we just thought it was their systems acting up, and they were just inventing their own language."

"They speak through the drift," Sasha replied, relaxing her grip on Aleksis. "But they make sounds of welcome, and of comfort."

"Is Crimson all right?" Mako asked.

Sasha shook her head. "He is calm, but far from all right. He is blind... and scared. Much as Cherno first was."

Cherno eased Crimson back into his hangar, though he never let go of the red Jaeger. Crimson remained slumped against him, still keening, tremors wracking his chassis. Cherno answered with his own reassuring purr, shifting to nudge his Conn Pod against Crimson's.

 _It's safe,_ he said at last. _It's safe to come out. He won't hurt anyone._ A moment of hesitation. _Mama, Papa… I had to promise him he could see his Rangers again very soon to get him to calm down. I'm sorry… it was the only way._

 _Hush, little one,_ Aleksis assured him. _You did just fine. We will do everything we can to fulfill your promise. Just stay with him, all right?_

 _Okay._ He loosened his grip on Crimson, though he remained ready in case the other Jaeger began to panic again.

"He sure calmed down in a hurry," Raleigh noted.

"Cherno says he made him a promise," Sasha explained. "He will stop fighting if he can be beside his Rangers."

"His Rangers?" Raleigh repeated. "They're in comas, though!"

"Cherno says Crimson can feel them close," she replied. "It is why he's hysterical. He wants to be with them, at their sides."

Mako nodded slowly and pushed herself to her feet. "I will talk to Tendo. If that is what is needed to keep him calm…"

"Mako, I know you mean well," Raleigh pointed out, "but there's no way Crimson is going to fit in the medical center."

"Then we take the Weis to Crimson, and not the other way around."

Raleigh blinked. "Right. I should have thought of that. Though will the doctors okay that?"

She set her jaw in that expression Aleksis knew so well – the expression that said she was going to get her way and no one could say otherwise. "They will approve it. It is for everyone's good."

Aleksis couldn't hold back a smile. Mako had inherited her foster father's stubborn determination, and had truly come into her own over these past months. She would make a fine Ranger.

* * *

The Shatterdome crews were understandably irate that Crimson Typhoon's tantrum had destroyed so much equipment, and grumbles of discontent filled the bay as they worked to clean up the Jaeger's mess. Tendo couldn't exactly blame them. As exciting as it was to have another sentient Jaeger, he only wished it could have come without so high a cost. Cranes and other heavy machinery were expensive to replace, and finances were already strapped extremely tight. Even now he was calculating how much it would cost to replace everything Crimson had wrecked… and trying to determine how much of it they could live without.

Crimson's hangar was rather crowded at the moment – Cherno refused to leave the red Jaeger's side until his sight was restored, and the two metallic giants sat together, Crimson shaking and keening, Cherno crooning softly to comfort him as best he could. Despite his anxiety over the state of the Shatterdome, Tendo couldn't help but smile a little. For being a machine and one of the most infamous fighters in the Jaeger program, Cherno had a heart the size of his home country.

Close by the two Jaegers, a white tent unfolded and slowly took shape – a temporary medical center to house the Weis for the near future. The medics were surprisingly supportive of the decision to move the triplets closer to their Jaeger, and were taking every possible precaution to keep them stable during the move. The head surgeon had theorized that perhaps proximity to Crimson would help their conditions improve, and might even be the catalyst to them regaining consciousness. It was a long shot, but then, miracles could happen.

"This just keeps gettin' crazier," Herc muttered.

Tendo nodded, not taking his eyes off the scene before them. "And here we thought things would calm down after Operation Pitfall."

Herc snorted. "No one ever said this job would be boring." He went serious again. "The Kaiju War Museum in Sydney called. They want to know what's the holdup with gettin' Cherno down there."

"Tell them something has come up and we are unable to give them what we agreed to. We will refund their money."

"With what? Kaiju bits? We're flat broke, Tendo!"

"We'll think of something." He sighed deeply. "I don't regret letting Cherno Alpha live… even if it makes things difficult for the Jaeger program. I just hope all this works out for the better."

Mako approached Cherno at that moment, followed closely by the Kaidonovskys. There was an exchange of conversation too far away for him to hear, then Cherno lowered a hand to the ground. Mako and several technicians climbed into his palm, and he slowly raised them toward Crimson's Conn Pod. The red Jaeger hesitated, then opened his Conn Pod, allowing Mako and her team inside.

"Looks like we can cross 'purchase new cranes' off the list for now," Tendo noted wryly. "The Jaegers have that need filled."

Herc rolled his eyes. "What now, Tendo? We ain't gonna have a lot of time for science experiments. Not with the war back on. Another Breach, a Precursor base in our oceans…"

"We continue to monitor all coastlines and stay on the alert for Kaiju activity," Tendo replied. "We have our entire anti-Kaiju network on the lookout for the second Breach and the base. Once we've pinned down their locations, we'll form a plan. In the meantime, we have three operational Jaegers now. Those will have to do in the event of another attack."

Herc frowned. "Don't like those odds."

"We're no strangers to impossible odds," Tendo pointed out.

A transport droned by at that moment, beeping loudly to warn crews out of its way. It came to a stop before the medical tent, and medics began carefully unloading their cargo – three gurneys, each bearing a young man wrapped in a white sheet. It was a slow, delicate process, the medics working slowly to not jostle their patients or tangle their IV or monitor lines, but eventually the triplets were inside and being settled.

A shudder passed through Crimson's chassis, then he relaxed, his keening softening to a hum of relief. Tendo, too, felt the tension run out of his body. One more crisis averted.

"Think a final drift with their Jaeger'll be enough to wake 'em?" asked Herc.

"I don't know," Tendo replied. "But at this point, I think we're willing to try anything. If it means keeping Crimson sane… then so be it."

Herc nodded. "Orders?"

"Tell the technicians that once they're finished with Crimson's optical sensors, we're going to prepare for another drift." He checked his tablet, wincing a bit at how long his to-do list had gotten in the past few days. "Unfortunately, I'm not going to be here for it. There's something I need to do."

"Where are you runnin' off to?" demanded Herc.

"Recent circumstances have forced me to arrange a visit with an old friend."

"Oh, bloody hell… you can't be serious, Tendo! That man's a shark – he smells blood, he'll have you ripped apart in a second!"

"Pentecost had him well in hand."

"No offense, Tendo… but you ain't no Pentecost. At least let me come with you."

Tendo shook his head. "If I don't go alone, he'll suspect something. And I'm not going to risk any other Shatterdome personnel on this. Don't worry, I'll be fine." He smirked a little. "I wasn't always the upstanding citizen I am today, you know. I've had experience with his kind."

Herc gave a groaning sigh but relented. "Fine. But if I hear anythin's happened to you I'm comin' down to Hannibal Chau's lair myself to drag you out. An' I don't care who's in my way."

"Thanks for the warning." He took one last look at Crimson, decided the situation was under control for the moment, and walked out. There was still so much to do, and unfortunately he was going to have to leave Crimson and Cherno in Mako's hands. Though to be honest, he would rather have her in charge of this project than anyone else at the moment.


	13. An Unlikely Ally

_Night had fallen on the Hong Kong Shatterdome, and the technicians and mechanics were finishing up the day's tasks and preparing to leave the bay for the night. Workers descended scaffolding or stepped into crane buckets to reach the safety of the bay floor, tools clanked back into toolboxes, and lights began to click off one by one. A stream of humanity made for the bay doors, a gentle murmur of conversation and gossip rising like the burble of water over rocks. It was a typical evening for what remained of the Jaeger Corps, and everyone was more than ready to settle down and call it a day._

_Sasha wiped her hands off on a rag and tossed it aside. She gave Cherno one last glance, making sure he was battle-ready and in full repair before heading for the mess hall._

_Cherno's presence pulsed once in her mind, as if to assure her "I'm fine, go on." But she couldn't help but linger a little. She knew Cherno had taken Nova Hyperion's destruction hard, and she didn't want him to be lonely._

_Another pulse. He would be fine. And there was another Jaeger around – two now, actually. He wouldn't be alone, and Crimson was actually quite stimulating company._

_Sasha rested her hand against Cherno's foot. "Tell me about him," she whispered._

_The answer came as a series of images and impressions, pure thought rather than actual words. Crimson was far different from other Jaegers Cherno had known in the past. Eden had been cocky and a tease, ribbing Cherno on a regular basis and trying to make every fight a competition between the two of them. Warlock had only been in the base a few weeks, but he had been quiet and stoic in the short time he'd known him, only responding when spoken to and content to keep to himself. Nova, too, had been quiet, but also curious, constantly asking questions and urging Cherno to tell stories about his past Kaiju encounters._

_The Mark IV Jaeger wasn't necessarily quiet like Warlock or Nova, but nor was he bold and teasing like Eden. When he communicated, it was usually to make an observation or pass on some factoid that he thought Cherno could benefit from. He was an intelligent, analytical sort – a sort of warrior scholar, if such a thing existed. And he absorbed information like a sponge, mostly from his Rangers but also from his own observations, and wasn't afraid to share it._

_She nodded in response. It never ceased to amaze her that not only had their Jaegers gained minds of their own, but vastly different personalities. Which only made their damages and destructions all the more horrible._

" _What about Gipsy?"_

_Here Cherno hesitated before answering. Gipsy had been uncommunicative, keeping to herself and not even attempting contact with Cherno or Crimson. Nights she had erupted into eerie keening, calling for her surviving Ranger, and it took both of them to get her to calm down. He had no idea what the blue Jaeger was like, and he doubted he'd get to know her better until her grief had ebbed somewhat._

_Sasha turned toward the Mark III, which was still surrounded by scaffolding as mechanics made repairs to her wrecked chassis. It was no secret that the broken Jaeger had lost a Ranger in battle, and Sasha couldn't help but feel an ache of sympathy for her. Losing Cherno had been unthinkable for her… she couldn't begin to imagine how losing her Rangers must be hurting Gipsy right now._

_She gave Cherno one last pat, assuring him that Gipsy would recover with time, and that all he and Crimson could do was be here for her if she needed them. Then she turned to go._

_A sudden burst of amusement nudged at her mind, and she turned back to Cherno with a raised eyebrow. The Mark I sent back a feeling that could best be described as a tickle. Something warm and fuzzy had just crawled into his ankle joint, curling up amid the warm cables and settling in for a nap._

" _Oh bother… that cat again," she muttered. "Do you want me to remove it before I go?"_

_A negative feeling in return. The cat wasn't irritating at all, just ticklish until it settled down. It felt oddly comforting purring next to his cables, and he was content with it staying put until the next Kaiju attack or it woke up and moved on, whichever came first._

_Despite her worry for Gipsy, Sasha smiled. Like Vladivostok, the Hong Kong Shatterdome was frequently plagued by rats. Normally a creature as small as a rat would be inconsequential to a being designed to tackle much bigger creatures, but the little pests were problematic to human and Jaeger alike. They got into food supplies, chewed wires, and left their waste everywhere. The techs had spent almost a week replacing delicate wires in Crimson after a particularly nasty infestation, and Cherno had suffered gnawed wires on occasion as well._

_Traps and poison were only so effective against the rodent menace – to everyone's dismay, the nasty creatures were smarter than they looked, and for every one they managed to destroy it seemed there were fifty more to replace them. But rather than giving up, Pentecost had hit on an ingenious solution._

_His answer to the problem, to the surprise of everyone, had been to adopt a dozen cats and release them in the Shatterdome, and give strict orders that the animals be allowed to roam wherever they pleased._

_Despite complaints, his unorthodox solution worked – the rat population plummeted. And the new furry members of the Jaeger Corps provided an unexpected benefit – a morale boost. When they weren't busy disposing of rats, it wasn't uncommon for a cat to go curl up in someone's berth or in a technician's lap. Even Tendo, who had initially expressed concern about bringing animals into the Shatterdome, could often be seen with a feline buddy in his lap as he worked through another long night._

_And most surprisingly of all, Cherno himself had taken to the creatures. Though they were incredibly tiny to him, he delighted in watching them through his Rangers' eyes, and he never seemed to mind if they took naps on his feet or made their way up the scaffolding to go for a walk across his massive shoulders. One in particular, a gray tabby, seemed to claim Cherno's ankle joint as her own resting spot, and would chase away any other cats that got close to the Mark I's feet._

_Satisfied that Cherno was okay for the moment, Sasha walked off. On a whim, though, she stopped by Gipsy's hangar. She might not be able to communicate with her, not in the same way she could with Cherno, but she still felt she owed it to her to do something to comfort her._

_What she saw lifted her spirits almost immediately. Cherno's favorite cat might be keeping him company at the moment, but it seemed the rest of the Shatterdome's feline crew were gathered in Gipsy's hangar, either perched on her feet or finding niches in her plating to curl up in. One, a calico, looked up at Sasha with wide green eyes, then immediately dismissed her and went back to grooming itself._

_A low rumbling issued from Gipsy's chassis, a deep purring sound that was far different from the keening and screeching that had been her only noises up to this point. The cats responded, their own purring a faint echo of the Jaeger's thrumming. She knew she had tiny guests, and she seemed to approve of their presence._

_Sasha reached out to scratch a black-and-white cat under the chin before walking for the exit. Gipsy would recover. Already she was gaining comfort from an unexpected source, and perhaps her mood would improve as she was restored to full repair. Whether she would ever be reunited with her remaining Ranger had yet to be seen… but she had a feeling Gipsy's story was far from over._

* * *

Tendo stepped out of the apothecary shop, through the hidden doors in the shelves, and into the domain of Hong Kong's black-market Kaiju czar, wrinkling his nose at the smell. He never thought he would be coming back here again, but circumstances seemed to be forcing it. It seemed that the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

All around him workers hauled bits of Kaiju flesh and bone back and forth, pushed carts carrying tanks in which lumps of tissue bobbed sickeningly, or worked various chunks of matter into a marketable commodity. On one side several employees fed slivers of bone the size of a man's arm into a grinder, and a woman bustled around them with a brush and a dustpan to sweep up the fine ivory powder that collected on the grinder and worktable – the stuff was too precious to waste a speck. On another side a man yanked on gloves that reached to his shoulders before plunging his arms into a tank of amber-tinted fluid, pulling out a squalling Kaiju skin parasite. Machinery and the chitter of the skin mites drowned out most attempts at conversation, and a gut-twisting smell of burned bone, formaldehyde, and old meat made the air feel thick and difficult to breathe.

Not much different from the last time he'd visited, it seemed. Leatherback and the two Otachis had given Hannibal's operation a new lease on life, and much like the Shatterdome it was guaranteed to stay busy for awhile with the renewal of the war.

The goon who'd escorted him this far dashed off to berate a man who'd dropped a bundle of Kaiju hide on the floor, leaving Tendo to look around and wait for Hannibal. Thankfully he didn't have long to wait – he wasn't sure he could stomach standing here for very long.

"You again!"

He glanced up to see a red-suited man striding toward him, his shoes clinking like a set of spurred boots from the Old West. Hannibal was a physically imposing man, tall and broadly built, with short-cut gray hair and a set of sunglasses mostly obscuring an old scar raking across his left eye. His face was locked in a scowl as he stormed toward Tendo, and automatically a few workers edged toward Tendo, hands drifting toward guns and knives as if expecting trouble.

Tendo drew himself up straight and forced his face into a bland expression. No time to panic. Hannibal was like a predator – if he sensed weakness he would leap on it without hesitation.

He expected Hannibal to pull his usual shtick of greeting a visitor with a butterfly knife to the throat or face… and so wasn't prepared for the towering Kaiju-parts czar to grab his arm and squeeze it companionably, if just a bit painfully.

"How you doin'?" Hannibal demanded, bearing gold teeth in a wide grin. "Haven't seen you around for ages! Pentecost should've sent you instead of that skinny-ass nerd, we missed you around here!"

"Good to know," Tendo replied, managing a smile despite wincing at the bone-crushing grip on his arm. He was tempted to add "wish I could reciprocate" but decided that wouldn't be the smartest decision at the moment.

"So what's the word around the Shatterdome?" asked Hannibal, gripping Tendo's shoulder and steering him toward a flight of stairs. "Looks like you guys were a little sloppy in cleaning up around the Breach, eh? Missed a Kaiju. Lucky you hadn't dismantled all your Jaegers yet, or that would've been messy."

"That's classified information," Tendo replied.

Hannibal snorted. "Ruin my fun, why don't you?"

He pressed his thumb to a fingerprint lock on a beautifully carved teak door, then pushed it open to reveal a sumptuously decorated office. Beautiful statues of jade and marble stood guard in each corner, some of Kaiju but others that appeared to be goddesses or mythical beasts. A painting of some ancient battle – doubtless Hannibal's namesake against the Roman forces – hung from the wall across from the glossy ebony desk. A thick Persian-style rug muffled the clinking of his shoes as he walked to his desk, picking up a glass decanter with a gold-leaf, stylized Kaiju wrapping around it.

"Want a Scotch?"

"No thank you."

"C'mon, live it up a little, Mr. Choi," Hannibal urged, pouring a couple inches of the stuff into two glasses. "I swear, working under Pentecost has dried you up inside. You used to be interesting."

Tendo relented and took the glass, though he only sipped from it. "I'm still interesting. Just not criminally interesting. Pentecost taught me to behave myself."

"You, behave?" Hannibal laughed and downed his glass. "The Jaeger Corps are practically rebels right now. And if that's not criminally interesting right there, I dunno what is." He gestured toward a chair with his glass. "Siddown, let's talk. You didn't come here just to rehash old times."

Tendo nodded. "The Shatterdome's funding from the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps is due to run out very soon. And given recent circumstances, it's obvious that we require further protection in case of another rogue Kaiju presenting itself."

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. "Ain't that what the Wall's for? Besides, the Breach is gone. Can't be too many more lost Kaiju wandering around, can there?"

The man was needling him, fishing for information. Tendo knew he wasn't going to get out of this without revealing to Hannibal the presence of the base and another Breach, but he had hoped to minimize the information he gave as much as he could. He would have to be careful with what he shared – too little and Hannibal wouldn't help, but too much and he could potentially use it as a weapon against them later.

"Mutavore's attack on Sydney and the appearance of a flying Kaiju proved that the Wall is ineffective," Tendo replied. "We still need the Jaegers. And if one Kaiju managed to escape our scrutiny, then it's entirely possible that there are others… and Otachi has proven they can breed. We have to be prepared for all possible scenarios, which means we need operational Jaegers. Not to mention the funding to keep them functional and piloted."

Hannibal tapped a finger against his glass as he listened. "So you come here asking for a loan. What am I, a loan shark?"

"A trade, not a loan. We're willing to offer you something in return for cash."

He snorted and downed another swig of liquor. "What can you offer me that I ain't already got? I already got exclusive rights to all the downed Kaiju in Asia. And we're still carving up the last three – four if you count the runt – your Jaegers pulverized. We're pretty well covered." He gave Tendo an expectant look, one that clearly said _you know something I don't, so you better get talking before I lose interest._

Tendo took a deep breath, bracing himself. "The Breach may be closed… but the Kaiju aren't necessarily gone."

Hannibal lowered his glass. "Keep talking."

"We have… evidence… that the creators of the Kaiju prepared a contingency plan in the event that we did destroy the Breach. They established a secondary location here on our world, where they could send out Kaiju without having to pass them through the Breach first."

"A goddamn Kaiju factory on our own turf," Hannibal growled, though the grin on his lips spoiled the anger of his tone. "Some people just don't know when to quit, do they?"

"In return for a payment," Tendo finished, "the Hong Kong Shatterdome is prepared to offer you exclusive rights to any and all Kaiju that make landfall."

The greedy gleam in Hannibal's good eye was somehow visible even through his dark glasses. "Any, you say? Wherever they make landfall?"

"That's the general idea. Which means you'd better have crews ready in any country with a Pacific coastline."

Hannibal looked as if he'd just uncovered a cache of hidden treasure. Tendo was fully aware of what he'd just done – in one fell swoop, he'd granted the dealer a complete monopoly on Kaiju parts, ensuring that he would be the only source for Kaiju material in the world. All others would be forced out of business as soon as they ran out of product, and he would be free to charge whatever price he liked for the stuff… and withhold it from a buyer as he deemed fit. His empire would now span the globe, and he'd be wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.

It was giving the man far more power than Tendo was comfortable with, but sometimes compromises had to be made. And if it meant the survival of the Jaeger program, and the ability to better help Cherno, Crimson, and Mustang… then so be it.

"How do you know this?" Hannibal asked at last, common sense overriding greed for a moment. "What proof do you have that there's a base? Got eyes on the ocean floor or something?"

"That's classified information," Tendo replied. "But I can assure you-"

"How do I know you're not just blowing smoke up my ass?" Hannibal demanded. "And don't give me that crap about the anti-Kaiju sensory network, 'cause I know good and well that whatever stolen nuke you dropped in the Breach wrecked it up good." He grinned at Tendo's pained look. "The Kaiju cult ain't the only ones with eyes in your base. Don't hide things from me, because it won't be good for our partnership. Or our deal, if I even choose to agree to it… and it's looking less likely by the minute, pal."

There was no way around it, then. If Tendo wanted to keep the Shatterdome from financial ruin, he would have to tell. Newt had explained to him that Hannibal already knew about his drift with the Kaiju brain, but the less Hannibal knew about… other factors, the better. But he had no choice.

"Dr. Newton Geizler."

Hannibal glowered. "Are you funnin' me?" His brow furrowed, and Tendo could almost see the gears turning in his head as he pieced together the answer for himself.

"His drift hangover with the Kaiju-" he began.

"You goddamn morons," he growled. "If you had a lick of sense in your head, you'd throw Geizler to the sharks for your own protection!"

"Dr. Geizler's information has proven critical-"

"You moron!" Hannibal repeated, thumping his hands on the desk and pushing himself to his feet. "For someone who works with Jaegers and Rangers as much as you do, you're pretty stupid about them!" He strode out from behind his desk and began to pace the room, gesturing angrily.

"The handshake is two-way!" he ranted. "Your idiot scientist's mindlinked to a goddamn Kaiju! Not just one, the whole hive mind! Why do you think that bitch Otachi was trying to hunt him down? They know he's an information leak! And the leak works both ways, Choi!"

Tendo had opened his mouth to argue, but his retort died away. He hadn't even thought to consider…

"Yeah, that's right. Your precious Kaiju scientist's a double agent. Maybe not willingly or even knowingly, but he's probably transmitting all sorts of valuable intel to the Kaiju designers even as we speak. And he was stupid enough to drift TWICE with the bastards – means they've got a clearer connection than ever, huh?"

Tendo slumped back in his chair. "Gods…"

"Yeah, didn't stop to think about that, did you?" Hannibal walked back to the desk, picked up the decanter, and refilled Tendo's glass. "If I were you, I'd get your little leak in security plugged as soon as possible. Otherwise the Precursors are gonna know all your weaknesses and the world'll really be screwed. Oh… and we've got a deal. Payment in exchange for exclusive Kaiju rights. You're gonna need all the help you can get."

Tendo just nodded. He stared at the glass of Scotch, then sighed and downed it in one long draw. Today was rapidly turning into one of those "I need a freaking drink" days.

* * *

Evening rolled around, and the Jaeger bay slowly emptied out as workers made for the mess hall, showers, or barracks, depending on whether they valued food, a shower, or sleep the most at the moment. A few techs were still working on setting up Crimson's upcoming drift and fixing bugs in Mustang's programming, and several medics continued to monitor the Wei Tang triplets through the night, but for the most part everyone was content to leave the bay to the Jaegers tonight. Even Sasha and Alexis had said good night to Cherno and left for their quarters, fully ready to sleep in a real bed for at least one night.

Cherno watched Bailey stoop down to pet one of the Shatterdome's cats before she packed up her tablet to leave. He had to admit that he liked her – unlike her siblings, who acted like snobs and badmouthed his Rangers, she was nice, and she treated both the older Jaegers and their Rangers with respect. Too bad she hadn't been a Ranger herself – he might like Mustang a little more had he been able to tolerate its pilots.

Crimson stirred, still slumped against the Mark I and hugging against him. Cherno patted his back as gently as he could to try to comfort him. This was a rough time for him, and he wanted to be there for however long it took for him to recover. He hoped the drift would help – either by giving him a moment to communicate with his Rangers, finally awakening them, or just giving him some closure. It made his core ache to see his friend in such pain, especially when he had usually been so level-headed and calm in the past.

 _Hu dreams,_ Crimson said suddenly. _I can feel it._

Cherno tilted his body slightly, the closest thing to a headtilt he was capable of. _What's he dreaming? Not a nightmare, I hope._

 _They're good dreams._ Crimson thrummed softly, more at peace now than at any point since he'd gained self-mobility. _Playing basketball with his brothers in a community center. A good memory._

 _Good… sometimes my Mama and Papa have nightmares, and it makes me shake. I see Kaiju, or Papa's brother drowning, or Mama crying, and it hurts._ His gaze moved to the medical tent. _What about the others? Do they dream?_

Crimson shuddered, and immediately Cherno wished he hadn't asked. _No… their minds feel blank. I call for them, but they don't answer. They're alive, I feel that much, but…_ He tucked his Conn Pod against Cherno's shoulder, keening softly.

He quickly changed the subject, hoping to calm Crimson down. _Why do they sleep and dream anyhow? The humans? I know they're built differently, but we don't sleep, not like they do. Even when we shut down to run defrag cycles, it's not the same. We don't dream._

Crimson went thoughtfully quiet, pondering that. _Perhaps it's simply a fundamental difference between our kinds. Though… we do relive our memories sometimes, in the drift. And perhaps we dream in our defrag cycles – all the data we've accumulated has to be processed properly, after all. We just might not remember._

That didn't exactly strike Cherno as fair – if he dreamed, he wanted to remember it, if only because he was curious as to what his own dreams might be like. Perhaps he could ask a technician to "wake" him in the middle of a defrag cycle sometime. It might be one of those things you could only remember if you came back online in the middle of it.

 _It's strange,_ he said at last. _We know so little about ourselves, our own kind, despite everything._

Crimson was quiet for a few minutes before answering. _Before now, our only goal and focus was to destroy the Kaiju. Now, though, the humans have time – and reason – to study us in depth. I just hope that whatever they find out, it helps my Rangers._ A deep sigh. _I want them back… and I won't lie, I'm jealous of you. Your Rangers came back when you called for them. Mine don't respond._

_I'm sorry._

_No… don't be. It's beyond your control._ Crimson laid his head back down on Cherno's shoulder. _I should be the sorry one. Look at the mess I made… and I almost killed humans in the process._

 _It's okay! You were scared… I did the same thing when I first woke up. It's terrifying, coming online blind and helpless. At least I had…_ He trailed off, not wanting to remind Crimson of what he had that the red Jaeger lacked.

 _You had your Rangers to help you._ Crimson didn't sound bitter – resigned and sad, but not bitter. _I am happy for you._

Cherno squeezed his shoulder. _You'll get the Weis back, Crimson. I promise. And until they wake up, I'm not leaving you._ He hummed softly. _Jaegers stick together. Or at least they do now._

Crimson echoed his hum, the Jaegers' calls falling into harmony with one another. Then Crimson turned slightly to look at the third occupied hangar, and he twitched with sudden curiosity.

 _They've replaced Striker Eureka already,_ he noted. _Who is the new one? And are they alive and aware yet?_

 _That's Mustang Omega,_ Cherno replied. _He only just had a drift a couple days ago. And… and I don't sense anyone in there. It's like he's dead. Moving and acting, but without a mind in there except his Rangers'._

 _Curious._ Crimson cocked his Conn Pod. _Almost like a zombie, then._

_A what?_

_Your Rangers never watched zombie films?_

_No, they watched things like James Bond. And sometimes Disney movies because they knew I liked them. What's a zombie?_

_As far as I can discern, it's a dead human body that can still move on its own, albeit without a proper thinking mind._ Crimson's mental tone was a strange mix of lingering sadness, curiosity, and amusement. _Charles Hansen convinced the Weis to join him for a George Romero movie marathon not too long ago. Lots of zombies._

_Who? Oh, you mean Chuck. I didn't like him very well._

_He did tend to get full of himself. But Striker liked him, so who are we to judge his taste in pilots?_ Crimson gave a little shrug. _As for Mustang… give him time. He is new, and it will take time for him to develop enough to have a discernable personality. Some Jaegers take months to develop beyond a vague sense of being, after all… and some never get past that point._

Cherno chirred in thought. _I don't know… something tells me Mustang won't even get to a vague sense of being._

_What do you mean?_

_I mean that his pilot see him as just a machine._ He pointed to the external Conn Pod, which lay at Mustang's feet as technicians worked inside it. _They don't respect him as a member of their team; they just treat him like he's a tool or a vehicle… or worse, a toy or a video game. He might as well just be a really fancy gun or action figure to them, for all they care about him. If they never accept him as his own entity, as a team member instead of a weapon…_

 _They, too, will need time,_ Crimson advised. _I don't know much about the Rossis – I haven't been paying much attention to them – but they are new Rangers just as Mustang is a new Jaeger. Give them some time to accept Mustang as a partner, and not just a machine. Once they realize that, perhaps we'll see him grow._

Cherno wasn't so sure… but then, that could just be his dislike for Lance and Lexie tainting his view of Mustang. Somehow he couldn't see them ever treating Mustang like a thinking, feeling being. The fact that they treated the sentient Jaegers as an inconvenience and nuisance didn't help that view much.

Both Jaegers fell silent, alternating their gazes between Mustang's hangar and the medical tent. Crimson had sat up and actually become more animate while talking about Mustang, but the longer he remained quiet the more morose he became, slumping against Cherno again and his thoughts going glum and dark. He needed some kind of distraction, Cherno realized, whether it was conversation or something else. If he could keep his mind off his pilots for awhile, perhaps his mood would improve.

 _Do you want to do something?_ he ventured. _Something besides just sit, I mean?_

Crimson perked up a little at that. _What would we do? I don't wish to go too far. I want to be here in case my Rangers' condition changes._

_Not like going outside… but something. Maybe you can show me how to play basketball?_

Crimson's engine coughed in a chuckle. _Basketball is a rather physical sport. We would wake up the entire Shatterdome, not to mention destroy more equipment._

_Oh… what about another game? I don't know many games, though, Mama and Papa didn't play a lot of games._

_Perhaps I can show you a strategy game that I learned from my own Rangers._ Crimson sat up and looked around the Jaeger bay. _We need something to double as pieces, however. Find some small pieces, about the size of… that._ He pointed at a stack of crates. _I'll see what I can do to get some kind of board laid out…_

* * *

Raleigh didn't realize Aleksis was close by until the taller Ranger sat down beside him on the catwalk. Part of him wondered how he had managed to get up so high with two bad legs – though given how tough Team Cherno Alpha was, he guessed he shouldn't be surprised that Aleksis wasn't going to let a little thing like stairs get in his way. The rest of him felt just a bit of irritation at his presence, as he'd come up here to be alone and think.

Aleksis, thankfully, had a reputation as a man of few words, and it didn't seem like he was going to change that now. He simply nodded at Raleigh in greeting and turned his gaze toward the scene playing out on the floor of the Jaeger hangar.

They were hardly the only ones watching – the Jaegers' latest antics were drawing quite the crowd. Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha sat cross-legged on the floor, gazing down at a grid Crimson had formed from laying lengths of cable out in perpendicular lines. The two Jaegers took turns placing odds and ends they had scavenged from around the bay – chunks of scrap metal, pieces of broken equipment, empty crates – onto the grid, in no particular pattern Raleigh could discern. Whatever they were doing, they seemed thoroughly engrossed in the activity, though every so often one of them would chirr with pleasure or keen in disappointment.

"It looks like some kind of game," Raleigh said at last. "One I don't know the rules to. I'd say it's checkers, but they're not moving the pieces, just setting them on the board."

"Go."

Raleigh gave him an odd look. Why was Aleksis ordering him to leave? He was here first, and it wasn't as if anyone had exclusive rights to the catwalks. Well, technically the maintenance crews did, but still…

"The game," Aleksis added. "It is called Go. Very old game. Simple but good strategy game."

"Oh." He smiled sheepishly. That had almost been embarrassing. Thankfully he'd managed to keep his mouth shut until Aleksis had finished speaking.

"Have they been at this all night?" he asked.

Aleksis nodded.

Raleigh chuckled a bit. "Ever thought you'd see this? Jaegers moving like this, thinking for themselves? Playing games, even?"

Aleksis's mouth crooked in a half-smile. "Eventually. Perhaps not in my lifetime, though. But we both knew they could think." He gave Raleigh a knowing look. "You knew."

Raleigh watched as Crimson removed one of Cherno's pieces from the board, provoking a whine from the bronze Jaeger. "I… guess I knew at some level. Gipsy always did seem to have a mind of her own. It was like she worked WITH us, not for us… like she was a partner instead of a machine." He stopped there, not sure if he trusted himself to keep talking.

Aleksis nodded. "You knew, then. She was her own being."

He hesitated, then blurted out the question that had been nagging at him ever since Cherno had come to life. "What was she like?"

"Gipsy?"

"Yeah… what was she like? Her personality? Was she friendly, snarky, quiet, talkative, moody, all of the above? Did she get along with other Jaegers? I have to know… I felt snippets, but I feel like I never really KNEW her, not before…" He clenched his jaw, fighting to keep his emotions at bay.

"I do not know," Aleksis replied. "She was not my Jaeger."

"I know that, but… could you ask Cherno? He was around her for a few years while Pentecost and Mako rebuilt her, he should know something!"

"You know what your Jaeger was like," Aleksis said softly, and to Raleigh's surprise the Russian Ranger rested a companionable hand on his shoulder. "In your heart. She was a part of you, one that does not easily die. You know her personality. Just calm down and think about it."

He took a deep breath. "It's all so muddled, though. In the drift, you only get images and feelings."

"Images and feelings tie together to make a whole. Put the pieces together, and you will know."

Raleigh's gaze moved to Gipsy's hangar, still with its memorial wreath and sign. Despite himself he could feel hot tears sliding down his cheeks as he remembered her. He didn't care if she'd been an older model, beat-up and outdated in comparison to Jaegers like Striker and Crimson. She had been beautiful, sleek and powerful, one of a kind. She had always gone into battle with a cool efficiency and a desire to protect anything in the monster's path, full of equal parts courage and kindness. And when the three of them – Raleigh, Yancy, and Gipsy – had merged minds in the neural handshake, there had always been a sense of unspeakable joy from her, delight at having them so close…

"She was like a sister," he whispered, throat tight with emotion. "We always thought of her like a little sister. It ripped me apart to lose Yancy… but losing her was just as bad. Both times. And… and the second time was even worse. Because I let her die in the Breach. I sacrificed her and ran away like a coward."

"Beckett…"

"And now that I know she was so close to being alive, that she could have been like Cherno and Crimson if she'd just stuck around a little longer… it's ripping me apart. She must have been frightened and lonely in her final moments, and I just left her behind…"

Aleksis tightened his grip on his shoulder, and the pain brought him back to reality. The older Ranger had a fierce glint in his eyes, but his expression was sympathetic.

"Don't," he growled. "Don't do this to yourself. Gipsy knew what needed to be done. You know it. You feel it. The Jaegers are devoted to protecting humanity, and their Rangers most of all. She loved you like a brother, much as you loved her like a sister. And had she been fully sentient and mobile like Cherno, she probably would have cast herself into the Breach to save you. Do not blame yourself for her death, Beckett. Mourn her, honor her sacrifice, but do NOT wallow in misery. You know she would not want that."

Raleigh wiped as his face, desperately wishing he had a tissue. Aleksis made it sound so easy. And he was right, damn him – in the back of his mind he knew Gipsy had agreed to the plan, and had put his and Mako's safety above her own self-preservation. That didn't keep him from feeling this gut-wrenching guilt over her death. Especially now that he knew it had indeed been a death, and not just the destruction of a machine…

A voice sounded over the intercom system, making both Rangers – and the Jaegers – glance upward. _"Dr. Newton Geizler and Dr. Hermann Gottlieb, please report to Tendo Choi's office. Dr. Newton Geizler and Dr. Hermann Gottlieb, please report to Tendo Choi's office."_

Raleigh frowned. What was that about? But he was saved from further speculation by another announcement.

" _Crimson Typhoon drift sequence to begin in thirty minutes. Assigned medical and LOCCENT personnel, please report to your stations. Crimson Typhoon, please report to the LOCCENT immediately."_

Crimson thrummed deeply, and he pushed himself to his feet and made his way to the LOCCENT, picking his footsteps carefully to avoid stepping on anything. Cherno followed close behind, purring happily. Raleigh, for his part, stood and made his way down from the catwalk. However this neural handshake turned out, it was bound to be an event no one wanted to miss.


	14. Reassignment

_Much to the surprise of the Jaeger crews, none of the three Jaegers currently stationed at Hong Kong made so much as a sound as the fourth Jaeger was lowered into its new bay. Normally when a new arrival came to the Shatterdome, all the older mechs immediately began acting up, their engines and power cores growling or humming and raising a racket for at least several hours, if not days. Some joked that they were welcoming the newcomer, while others complained that they were envious of the attention the new arrival was getting and were acting out like little kids jealous of a new sibling. Still others figured it was nothing more than coincidence, and that it was silly to anthropomorphize the Jaegers in such a manner._

_But today was different. Cherno, Crimson, and Gipsy didn't utter so much as a sound as Striker Eureka came to rest in his hangar, all clean lines and sharp angles, so new that his paint still shone with a high gloss in most places. Scratches and dents marked his arms and torso from previous fights, but he still practically screamed newbuilt, and the highly advanced weaponry built into his chest and arms further confirmed his status._

_Cherno finally broke the silence, giving a soft coo of awe. Mark V! The most advanced Jaeger to date! And if the rumors were true, this Mark V had the highest kill count in the entire PPDC! He was standing in the presence of a legend…_

_A firm mental nudge from Crimson broke him out of his reverie. The Mark IV was less than impressed with the newcomer. He might have a high kill count, but he hadn't spent years defending coastlines like Cherno had. Cherno was far more deserving of being hailed as a legend than this upstart rookie._

_Cherno nudged back irritably. What was wrong with admiring another Jaeger? And what business was it of Crimson's? Was the red Jaeger just jealous that a newer mech was being stationed at their Shatterdome?_

_Crimson seemed to balk at that for a moment, then dismissed it. He was most assuredly NOT jealous. He simply didn't see the point of fussing over a Jaeger who had yet to prove himself in his optical sensors. He would wait until he saw Striker in action for himself before making any firm judgments, but for now he was going to remain neutral on the subject. And he suggested Cherno do the same rather than acting like a fawning fanboy._

_Cherno's engines snorted at the red Jaeger. Fawning fanboy his exhaust vents… Crimson was just jealous, even if he wouldn't admit it. At least, that was his theory._

_Gipsy remained silent throughout the exchange. Only very recently had the blue Jaeger finally opened up to the others, if only to talk about her Rangers. She spoke of them quietly, in almost reverent tones, and it was obvious that she regarded them quite highly… as her family, as brothers. And though she had accepted that Yancy was beyond her reach, killed by the Kaiju that had nearly junked her in the first place, she clung to the hope that Raleigh would come back for her._

_Cherno had offered quiet encouragement, but Crimson was less sure that her surviving Ranger would return. He had suggested, as tactfully as possible, that if Raleigh Becket had intended to come back to the Jaeger program, surely he would have done so by now. And perhaps, if she wanted to see combat again, it would be in Gipsy's best interests to accept another set of pilots._

_To say that hadn't gone over well had been an understatement – Gipsy had erupted into an unholy shriek that had nearly ruptured the humans' eardrums before they could shut her down. It took her weeks to stop sulking after that, and she still gave Crimson the silent treatment._

_At the moment, Gipsy was withdrawn and a little moody from the day's events – Tendo and Pentecost had tried introducing a new set of Rangers to her, and she had responded to their efforts by shutting down the neural handshake the moment they tried to activate it. Eight times the Ranger candidates tried to drift with her, and eight times she firmly rejected them. She wasn't happy with their choice and would have nothing to do with the new Rangers._

_An unfamiliar presence "poked" at Cherno at that moment, and he turned his attention from Gipsy to Striker. The Mark V had finally noticed his fellow Jaegers, and seemed curious._

_Cherno hesitated, then gave a thrum of welcome. It was an honor to meet the Mark V, and he hoped Striker would feel at home here._

_Striker thrummed back, preening at the attention. He was the first, and so far only, Mark V, the pinnacle of Jaeger technology, the most advanced of their kind to date. He was glad someone could appreciate his finer qualities, and perhaps now that he was here the Shatterdome stood a chance against the Kaiju onslaught._

_Crimson gave a cough of his engines. Striker growled softly in response, taking the sound as an insult. Did the red Jaeger have something to say?_

_Crimson coughed again, the sound almost like laughter. He had nothing to say. He simply thought it was amusing that Striker thought himself to be superior to the other Jaegers in this base._

_Striker growled again, a long, low sound that made his Rangers stop bickering and turn to stare at him in confusion. What was Crimson's problem anyhow? Was the Mark IV jealous of him? After all, he wasn't the newest mech in the program anymore, and Striker had managed to beat his old record easily. Crimson's dismissal of his accomplishments sounded like sour fuel to him._

_Cherno whined softly and tried to interpose his presence between the two of them. He didn't want any fighting. There were too few Jaegers left anymore, and he didn't want them to be spending their final days arguing and insulting each other. Who cared who was newer or who had the highest kill count? The important thing was that they were all in good repair, and all had their Rangers still by their sides…_

_He stopped right there, feeling a pang of guilt. Striker sensed that and turned his attention to Gipsy, who had remained silent all through the exchange. A hint of smugness crept into his presence. He'd heard of Gipsy Danger – what Jaeger hadn't? And he'd heard of the stupid mistake on her Rangers' parts that had gotten one of them killed and sent her to the junkyard for awhile. Kind of a stupid way to get put out of commission in his opinion…_

_Gipsy's engines rumbled ominously, and she lashed out at Striker in a blazing rage. No one – NO ONE – talked about her Rangers that way. Not Pentecost, not other Rangers, not other Jaegers, and most certainly NOT an arrogant, stupid, cold-cored newbie like Striker. Raleigh and Yancy hadn't been perfect, but they were HERS, and if she heard one more derogatory word about them from Striker, the first thing she'd do once Raleigh came back and drifted with her again was punch his Conn Pod flat._

_Striker went silent at that, and had he been capable of facial expression Cherno was sure he would be staring at Gipsy in stupefied shock. Gipsy withdrew into herself, engine grumbling grouchily as she tried to get settled again. Crimson, for his part, practically beamed in satisfaction, both at seeing Striker taken down a peg and at Gipsy standing up for herself._

_Cherno drew into himself as well, wanting no part in the bickering. Well, at least with Striker Eureka on their team, things weren't going to be boring._

* * *

"What do you mean, terminated?" demanded Newt, blinking at Tendo in shock. "You're not meaning, like, fired, right?"

"Call it what you would like, but yes," Tendo replied, folding his hands on his desk. "The two of you are being released from your duties in the Shatterdome. If you can give me letters of resignation before you go, I can at least make sure you get some kind of severance package. It won't be much, but it'll be something."

"This is absurd!" Hermann snapped, raising his cane and brandishing it at Tendo as if it were a sword. "The two of us have contributed too much to the Jaeger program to be packed off like this!"

"I agree with Mr. Grumpy-Pants for once," Newt added. "Dude, without us Operation Pitfall wouldn't have worked! And this is how you thank us?"

"The Shatterdome is grateful for all you've done for us," Tendo replied, an apologetic expression on his face. "But this has to be done. Our funding has run out, and we have to cut corners somehow. And since we already know enough about the Kaiju to be able to defeat them and close the Breach, it's only logical that our research division be trimmed back."

Hermann narrowed his eyes. "Something is wrong here, Mr. Choi. You've never spoken of cutting back staff before, not even when finances looked their bleakest. What's changed? What are you playing at?"

"Mr. Gottlieb, don't argue with me," Tendo replied firmly. "This has to be done, for the good of the Jaeger program."

Newt tried another tactic. "Yeah, but without a research division, how you gonna study the Jaegers? We don't know jack about them, and what happens if Mustang comes to life or Oblivion Bay gets hit with a Jaeger-zombie apocalypse or something? If anything, you need a research division more than ever!"

Tendo raised an eyebrow. "A xeno-biologist and a theoretician as a Jaeger research team?"

"Hey, we're better than nothing!" Newt countered. "And at least we're actual scientists!"

"The continued study of Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon will be made by Bailey Rossi and Mako Mori," Tendo continued. "Both of them will divide their duties as necessary, and continue to gather information as needed."

"You'll replace us with an ex-Ranger and an inexperienced engineer?" demanded Hermann. "Not even proper scientists? This is outrageous!"

"Hermann Gottlieb, I don't like this any more than you do," Tendo said firmly. "But we have no choice. You have until 1800 tonight to pack your things and leave the Shatterdome."

Newt went for his last-ditch tactic, putting on his most mournful expression. "Sir… this is practically our home. You can't just throw us out on the streets. Where are we supposed to go?"

"You won't be without resources," Tendo replied, voice sympathetic but his tone final. "Again, if you agree to resign without a fuss, we can give you a small severance package. It won't be a great deal of money, but it can at least buy you a plane ticket out of Hong Kong. Unless you think you can find employment in the city, in which case you're welcome to stay... provided you don't contact the Shatterdome again."

Hermann pulled himself to his feet, wincing at the pain in his bad leg, and delivered his most venomous glare at the Shatterdome Marshal. "Pentecost would never have done this. He understood that it took more than big machines and headstrong men and women with death wishes to win this war! It took intelligence, logic, and sharp minds driven to uncover as much about our enemy as we could in order to defeat them! Pentecost understood-"

"I'm. Not. Pentecost." Tendo didn't raise his voice, but he emphasized each word as much as he could. "I'm sorry if you expected me to be his clone, but unfortunately you're stuck with me and not Pentecost 2.0." He pulled a file out of his desk and pushed it toward them. "You'll find the standard procedures for cleaning out your quarters and workspaces in there. And Newt, take your pet with you when you go. I doubt anyone here is going to want to adopt him in your place."

Hermann glared at Tendo a little longer, then grabbed the file and tucked it under one arm. He swiveled around on his good leg and made for the door to Tendo's office as quickly as possible. Newt scrambled after him, wanting as much distance between himself and their leader as possible at the moment.

"What just happened back there?" Newt wondered aloud. "I thought we were buds with him."

"I knew he was changing to fit his new station," Hermann replied, some of the venom draining from his voice. "But not like this… not this cold. And I can't help but feel there's something wrong about this."

"You think he's got other reasons for giving us the axe?"

"I KNOW he has other motives. And if I had a little more time, I might be able to deduce them. But time is a luxury we don't have at the moment."

Newt shook his head as they stepped into the lift. "Makes me wonder if we did something to piss him off somewhere along the way. You don't think this is because of Spike peeing on his desk last night, do you?"

Hermann rolled his eyes. "If that's all it took to get fired, Hercules would have been ejected from the Shatterdome months ago."

"Maybe dogs get more slack then skin mites do," Newt said with a shrug. "So what's the procedure for getting our asses fired anyhow? Didn't know we even HAD procedures like that."

"Presumably it's something you only discover once you're terminated." Hermann pulled out the folder and flipped it open, scanning the single sheet of paper inside. Immediately the anger drained out of his expression.

"Newton, hit the stop switch!"

"Wait, what? Dude, you know everyone hates it when people play with the elevators-"

"Stop this lift car at once!"

"Okay, okay, geez…" Newt reached over and slapped the control panel, and the lift lurched to a stop. "What's the problem anyhow?"

"Get over here and have a look at this."

Curiosity overcame irritation, and Newt went to have a look at the contents of the folder. He'd been expecting a boring list of things to do before getting his ass out of the Shatterdome, but instead it looked like a letter… from Tendo.

_Dr. Geizler and Dr. Gottlieb,_

_Before you continue reading, find a private place to read this message, and destroy it before you leave the Shatterdome. Both Hannibal and the Kaiju Cult have informants in the Shatterdome, and I'd rather this information didn't fall into the wrong hands._

_I owe both of you an apology for recent events – both your terminations and not being able to explain the true reasons for them. I'm sorry it's come to this, but this is for both your own safety and the continued safety of the Shatterdome, its crew, and especially the Jaegers._

_The termination of our research division for financial purposes is indeed a cover story. The true purpose for this was to get the two of you out of the Shatterdome as quickly as possible. Due to your drift with the Kaiju brain, it's no longer safe for you to remain here – the Precursors can possibly see what you see, and find a way to manipulate it for their own gain. Whether they know about the Jaegers' sentience yet I can't say, and we likely won't know the answer until the next Kaiju attack… but until then I would rather play it safe._

_This isn't just for the safety of the Shatterdome and its Jaegers, however. It's to keep you safe as well. Not many know about your drift with the Kaiju brain, but if that knowledge was made public… it could be nasty for you. And given that almost everyone in the Shatterdome has a grudge against the Kaiju, we judged it safest for you to be away from it for the time being._

_The final reason for your termination is a more practical one. You're not going to like this, Dr. Geizler, so I apologize in advance._

_Given the Kaiju Cult's recent attack on Mustang Omega, we have to consider them a viable threat – maybe not as big a threat as the Kaiju themselves, but still capable of causing great harm if we don't keep an eye on them. The Shatterdome needs eyes in the Kaiju Cult… and given that the two of you have links with the Kaiju, that makes you the best candidates._

_Consider this a reassignment rather than a termination. Once the two of you leave the Shatterdome, go to the temple in the Bone Slums and ask for asylum. If what Newt's told us about the cultists is correct, you'll be welcomed there with open arms. Stay with the cult for the next little while, and report back to the Shatterdome if you learn anything of interest – use the encrypted e-mail address at the end of this letter._

_Sorry I couldn't tell you this in my office, but I wanted to play it safe in case Hannibal or the cult had planted bugs in my office. If we're able to find a way to eliminate or block the link between you and the Kaiju, I'll re-hire you on the spot. Because it's impossible to imagine the Shatterdome without the two of you._

_Again, destroy this message before you leave the Shatterdome. Be safe. And drop us a line once you're situated within the cult._

_Marshal Tendo Choi_

The two scientists exchanged a long look. Then Newt burst into laughter.

"I KNEW he didn't mean it!" Newt whooped.

"Keep your voice down!" Hermann barked, and hit the stop switch to get the lift going again. "How can you laugh at a time like this? The very implications… that we might have Precursors using us as organic spy cameras…"

"So we go hang out with the cult and give 'em nothing but weirdness to spy on," Newt replied. "Maybe they'll be so creeped out by the fact that some of us worship their attack dogs that they'll figure this planet's not worth the fuss and leave."

"I highly doubt that," Hermann muttered, then made an abrupt cut-off motion as the doors to the lift opened. They pushed past the Rossis, ignoring their complaints about the lift being held for so long, and made for the labs. Newt snatched the letter from Hermann, took a quick photo with his phone to preserve the text, and fed the paper to Spike before going to pack his things.

Within half an hour a taxi pulled up to the Shatterdome, and the scientist tossed their bags into the trunk and climbed inside. The vehicle pulled away, taking Newt and Hermann to their new assignment… and new lives.

* * *

Sasha bit her lip to hold back a chuckle as she watched Crimson Typhoon. After seeing him stand stoically in his hangar for so long, it was both strange and amusing to see him as fidgety as an eager child right now. He rocked back and forth, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, and clenched and unclenched all three of his hands in anticipation. Soft chirring and keening rose from his chassis, as if they stood in the presence of a giant kitten instead of a titanic war machine.

"Can someone get him to hold still?" Bailey asked at last. "He's going to yank out an important cable if he isn't careful."

"Cherno," Sasha murmured. It was only one word, but Cherno read its meaning anyhow, and he reached out to rest a massive hand on his fellow Jaeger's shoulder. Crimson turned to look at Cherno, then gave a droning sigh and stopped rocking, though he continued to fiddle with his hands.

It seemed like nearly the entire Shatterdome had turned out to view Crimson Typhoon's drift with his Rangers. Techs, mechanics, and other crews packed the bay to watch, some eagerly, others with a healthy dose of skepticism. Herc was up in the LOCCENT to oversee the neural handshake, his stern expression rather absurdly softened by Bruno's face poking out of his jacket. Mako, ever-present clipboard in hand, stood near the wheeled beds that held the Weis, while Raleigh lurked near the Kaidonovskys and looked on with interest. Even the Rossis had deigned to show up, though the two were whispering to each other and giving disdainful looks to the red Jaeger and his unresponsive pilots.

Newt, Hermann, and Tendo were conspicuously absent, Sasha realized… but before she could dwell on that, Mako spoke up.

"Medics, status report. How are the triplets?"

"Heart rate's a little lower than we'd like," the head medic replied. "Brain activity picked up on all three when we moved them into the bay, but not significantly."

"Are they stable enough for a drift?"

The medic frowned. "Under normal circumstances I'd strongly advise against attempting a neural handshake with one or more comatose subjects," he told her. "But seeing as these aren't normal circumstances in the least… yes, they're physically stable enough for a drift. Though I still have reservations against this procedure…"

"We have permission and even encouragement from their family for this," Mako reminded him. "If it helps, then wonderful. If it fails to help, then we have lost nothing for trying."

"What if it kills them?" Lexie piped up, a scowl marring her pretty features. "People have died drifting before, and those were healthy and mentally stable people. Trying to do a drift between three human vegetables and a machine is just asking for disaster!"

Sasha snorted. Vegetables indeed… the Weis might not be responsive at the moment, but there was no need for her to be rude when talking about them.

A deep rumble filled the room, making the floor vibrate beneath everyone's feet, and Crimson moved one hand protectively over the Weis. His Conn Pod swiveled to glare at Lexie, as if daring her to mock his Rangers again. She backpedaled quickly but glared right back.

"I doubt Crimson will let any harm come to his Rangers," Mako replied in a mild voice. "Whether inside or outside the drift." She looked up at the LOCCENT. "Ready?"

"We're ready up here," Bailey reported. "Or as ready as we'll ever be."

"You ready, Crimson?" asked Herc. "Think you got this?"

Crimson rumbled again and nodded, pulling his hand back. He straightened up, squaring his shoulders back like a soldier standing at attention. He looked as if he were preparing for a normal drift, with his Rangers safely in his Conn Pod instead of lying on beds in front of him.

"Then let's do this before we talk ourselves out of it," Herc said firmly. "Pons sets on?"

The head medic checked the fit of the Pons cap on Hu, then nodded. "On and set."

"Initiating neural handshake," Bailey announced. "All systems online… handshake in three… two… one…"

Sasha reached over and clasped Aleksis' hand, feeling a sudden thrill of nervousness. While they had not been close to the Wei Tang triplets, they had still considered Crimson Typhoon's Rangers friends. And Crimson and Cherno had been close friends for a long time. If this drift were to go sour somehow… if the Weis failed to wake up, or even died from a neural overload…

"Don't think about that," Aleksis advised. "It won't happen."

She nodded, though privately she couldn't help but continue to worry…

"Handshake's live!" Bailey shouted. "Got one, two, three… four links! Handshake's secure!"

Raleigh whooped in triumph, and Sasha gave a relieved smile. Perhaps she'd worried for nothing…

"Got some elevated brain activity here," the head medic announced. "Still not enough to indicate they're about to regain consciousness. But they're at least aware that something's going on."

Mako looked down at the tablet that had been fastened to her clipboard, frowning. A readout of the drift activity was visible on the tablet, and while Sasha wasn't sure what exactly it represented, it obviously wasn't to the young Ranger's liking. Perhaps this experiment wasn't going to be as successful as they hoped.

Crimson gave a low whimper and moved, crouching down to hover over his pilots. He raised a hand, as if about to touch them, but then lowered it with another whimper. Sasha wanted to say something to comfort him, but the words wouldn't come. How did one console a Jaeger whose Rangers weren't going to come back?

"Give it up already," muttered Lance. "They're not gonna wake up. Geez, talk about beating a dead horse…"

Crimson's Conn Pod jerked up sharply, and despite having no proper face his glower was enough to shut the young Ranger up in a hurry. Cherno didn't appreciate the remark either, and he outright snarled at Lance.

"Can't the two of you keep your mouths shut for five minutes?" Raleigh groaned.

"We're just stating facts!" Lance protested. "Why are we doing this anyhow? Does he really still need his Rangers when he can move on his own? Besides, I thought they were pretty much brain-dead."

That set Crimson off. He gave a high whine that quickly escalated to a full-blown wail, scattering the crowd that had gathered to watch the drift. Raleigh and the Rossis clapped their hands over their ears and staggered back, and Mako dropped her clipboard at the shock. Sasha reeled, hands over her own ears, but the quick glimpse she had gotten of the drift readout showed Crimson's side of the drift going ballistic, energy spiking through the roof.

_Cherno!_

_He's calling out for them!_ Cherno replied, voice frantic. _Louder than ever! He's angry… get Mustang's pilots out of here before he does something rash._

"What the hell's going on?" demanded Raleigh, eyes wide. "He's not going to flip out again, is he?"

Sasha quickly relayed what Cherno had told them. To his credit, Raleigh didn't question what she said but instead rushed to the Rossis and grabbed each of them by an arm to pull them out. They protested and swore but didn't resist as he dragged them out of the bay.

"For God's sake, tell him to shut up!" the head medic shouted. "He's going to wreck delicate equipment here!"

Cherno reached out to grab Crimson's shoulder, but the red Jaeger ducked out of his reach. His eerie cry continued to ring through the hangar, until Sasha thought she might pass out from the intensity of it. The LOCCENT was a hotbed of activity as the techs rushed to do something to shut Crimson up, but all their efforts were in vain – Crimson was in full control of himself, and was beyond their ability to control.

Then it happened. One of the Weis – Jin, Sasha realized – shot bolt upright in his bed. His eyes were bleary and unfocused, as if he were still asleep, but his expression was one of utter shock. He blurted something in his native tongue, then paused and shook his head, as if only now realizing where he was.

Crimson's cry cut off at that moment, and he stared at Jin for a long moment, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sasha couldn't exactly blame him. After being completely unresponsive for so long, Jin was awake, awake and moving. And even as the gathered humans and Jaegers continued to watch the young Ranger turned slowly around to meet his Jaeger's gaze.

"Crimson…"

Crimson whined softly, but somehow the sound was full of joy and relief. He reached out with his right arm, both hands extended, but then drew it back. He wanted to touch his Ranger, reassure himself that he was all right, but neither did he want to hurt him.

Jin's face broke out in a joyous smile. "You called me back… you brought me…"

The covers of the bed on Jin's left stirred, and Cheung groaned softly. On his right, Hu sat up, blinking as if he'd just woken up from a nap instead of a coma. Crimson whimpered softly, then emitted a low hum of pleasure.

"Good Lord," the medic gaped. "This shouldn't be possible…"

"We're Rangers," Mako said with a smile. "We are used to doing the impossible."

Crimson finally lowered one hand toward his Rangers, until it was within their reach. Jin responded first, patting one massive finger with a gentle fondness. The red Jaeger's humming intensified, and he practically radiated pleasure and relief at the touch. Cheung reached out next, resting his hand on the tip of a finger, and finally Jin joined in, placing a trembling hand on Crimson's.

"Knew you could do it," Jin said with a bit of a chuckle. "Knew you could move on your own if you just tried hard enough. And you didn't believe me."

Crimson's engines coughed slightly in a laugh at that, and before anyone could stop him he had reached out to scoop up all three of his Rangers in his hands. They gave startled cries at the sudden move, but laughter quickly replaced shock, and they kept up a steady stream of chatter as Crimson carried them off.

"Hey!" the medic shouted, waving his arms. "Get back here! We have to give them checkups! They just woke up from comas, you can't just haul them off like that!"

"He's a Jaeger," Mako noted. "Good luck telling him what to do." And she giggled at the look of frustration the medic shot her.

A hand brushed Sasha's cheek, and she turned to find Aleksis looking worriedly down at her.

"You're crying," he murmured.

"How can I not?" she replied. "We saw a reunion happen… one not so different from ours. Another family has been brought back together."

He smiled, then looked away quickly to rub at his eyes.

Cherno watched Crimson go, making absolutely no move to stop him. He beamed happily, exuding an aura of content at seeing his friend finally reunited with his Rangers.

 _I think he'll be okay,_ he said. _He has his Rangers back… his brothers. He's going to be all right now._

Sasha nodded, feeling the tension run out of her body. Crimson might have made enemies of the medical team during this procedure, but he had what was most important to him now. And somehow that seemed entirely worth it.


	15. A Cry in the Dark

_If anyone happened to miss the arrival of Raleigh Beckett, the last surviving Mark III Ranger, at the Hong Kong Shatterdome, then one being in particular made sure they knew about it. Even before the helicopter carrying Marshal Pentecost and the retired pilot had touched down the blue Jaeger began to hum, an almost subliminal thrumming that one felt more than heard, vibrating in the teeth and bones. And as Beckett stepped down from the vehicle and made his way into the base her keening intensified, until it seemed to fill the entire Shatterdome._

_Sasha and Aleksis had been on their way to Cherno to help the technicians calibrate his new system upgrade, dressed in their drivesuits and their helmets under their arms, but they paused and turned to face the Mark III. Even though neither of them were linked to Gipsy in any way, they recognized the emotions behind that sound. It wasn't a cry of pain or grief, nor was it the frustrated buzz a Jaeger sometimes emitted in the heat of a battle or during a difficult drift. It was a sound of joy – tinged with relief and just a bit of sadness, but joy all the same._

_Despite himself, Aleksis grinned. Gipsy Danger was finally happy… and finally had the one she regarded as family back._

_Another sound joined the humming, a rich tenor croon that rose and fell in pitch until it found harmony with Gipsy's alto. Then a third "voice" mingled with theirs, a deep bass rumble that nonetheless fit its way in like a piece to the puzzle. Crimson and Cherno were celebrating the return of Gipsy's Ranger in their own way, and it filled the Jaeger bay with an eerie, ululating thrum that the humans could feel in their very bones._

_Striker was silent… but then, he'd been remarkably unresponsive ever since Gipsy had lashed out at him at his arrival. Probably just sulking, Aleksis decided. The younger Jaegers did tend to be moodier than their older brethren._

" _For the love of God, someone get 'em to shut up," one of the mechanics huffed. "Haven't the techs found out what's makin' 'em go goofy like that?"_

" _Hey, I'd rather listen to Jaeger engines go goofy than you flap your jaw," another mechanic laughed, cuffing his friend on the shoulder. "At least theirs doesn't make me want to punch 'em in the face."_

_The two mechanics walked off, bickering, and Aleksis watched them go with a quizzical frown. It never ceased to amaze him how so many of the Jaeger crews could be so ignorant of their abilities. And despite the evidence that Jaegers were emotional beings, uttering cries of mourning or purrs of content from their engines and power cores, they didn't think to investigate those sounds any further than looking for mechanical errors. It was as if they wanted to remain purposefully stupid about the very machines they depended on to protect them._

_Gipsy's thrum intensified as the lift doors opened, admitting Pentecost, Mako Mori… and a worn-looking man whose face identified him as being in his thirties but whose eyes carried a lifetime of pain and exhaustion. There was no questioning that this man had once been a Ranger – he still walked with a suggestion of that confident stride, his shoulders squared back as if the weight of the drive suit still hung from them. But he looked beaten, broken somehow…_

_He and Sasha exchanged a look, then nodded almost imperceptibly. This was him, then. Gipsy's long-lost Ranger._

" _I was expecting him to be older," Sasha admitted._

" _They recruited them younger and younger as the war went on," Aleksis replied. "He looks drained, though. Empty. Gipsy's Ranger or not, he seems to have no fight left in him."_

_Sasha shrugged. "They said we were empty and past our prime. That does not make it true."_

_Aleksis nodded, but privately he doubted there was much left in the younger Ranger worth saving. Cherno had told them that Gipsy had finally opened up regarding her Rangers, speaking of them in loving, almost worshipful tones. She had been fiercely loyal to their memory, to the point where she had rejected any other pilots the PPDC had introduced to her via the drift. And while some part of her had accepted that Yancy, at least, wasn't coming back, she still held out hope that Raleigh would return to her someday._

_Aleksis just hoped that she wouldn't be disappointed by what she saw. Raleigh didn't look much like the cocky, headstrong, but ultimately good-hearted Ranger he had pictured from Cherno's descriptions… but then, a man could change a lot in five years. Or, more likely, Gipsy had idolized her Rangers to the point where she had painted a larger-than-life image of them for Cherno, and there was no way the real thing could measure up to it._

_Pentecost was giving Raleigh a brief tour of the Jaeger bay, introducing him to the other teams and pointing out which of the titanic mecha had survived to make the final stand. Raleigh listened attentively, nodding at all the appropriate times and stepping forward to shake hands with Hercules. At least he was friendly, Aleksis noted, if a bit subdued…_

_Then the man's gaze fell on Gipsy… and it was as if, at that moment, everything else in the Shatterdome – personnel, other Jaegers, even the very walls of the building – had ceased to exist. The Mark III commanded all his attention, and his eyes brightened as he approached her. Gone was the look of weary acceptance he had worn upon his arrival – his expression now was of incredulous joy, of relief and delight at being reunited with one he had long thought gone._

_Cherno and Crimson quieted down, their thrumming softening to a vague background hum. But Gipsy's thrumming intensified until it filled the hangar, her joy at seeing Raleigh almost palpable in the air. If it had been at all possible, Aleksis was sure the blue Jaeger would have pulled free of her scaffolding and closed the remaining distance between her and her Ranger, scooping him up in her hands and holding him close. As it was she practically vibrated with barely contained emotion, her keening interspersed with coughs of her engine that sounded almost like sobbing._

_Aleksis felt his doubts regarding Raleigh begin to melt away. Worn-out or not, damaged or not, it was obvious he still enjoyed a strong bond with his Jaeger, and that the passing of years hadn't dimmed it in the slightest. If anything, he looked as overjoyed at the reunion as Gipsy sounded. Jaeger and Ranger had been reunited, and Aleksis knew there could be no separating them now._

_Of course, that didn't exactly make their team complete, and that was enough to kill the smile that had started to tug at his lips. They would need a third member of the team before they could be truly complete, and only time would tell if they could find a suitable substitute for Yancy… or if Gipsy would even accept such a substitute._

* * *

It was a strange trio that gathered before the steps of the Kaiju Temple in the heart of the Bone Slums, staring at the massive skull and trying to work up the nerve to go inside. Newt looked torn between fanboy-ish glee at the almost perfectly preserved specimen that loomed over them and apprehension at what lay inside, while Hermann wore an expression of loathing – whether at the skull itself or the fact that it was considered a place of worship, who could say? Spike, meanwhile, squirmed and writhed in Newt's arms, squalling and chittering as if he sensed the remains of a possible host nearby and wanted to be reunited with a fellow being of his homeworld, alive or dead.

"Category II Kaiju," Newt murmured with a quiet, almost reverent awe. "Estimated to be seventy meters tall at the shoulder and almost eighteen thousand tons. Took a nuke to take it down, since there weren't Jaegers ready to take it on yet…"

"You are not making me any more willing to go inside," Hermann snapped.

"Dude, we're gonna be living with the cult for awhile, you might as well get used to people actually liking these buggers." Newt bent down and picked up his suitcase, still cradling Spike in one arm. "C'mon, let's get out of the rain."

"Of course YOU would like this," Hermann muttered, adjusting the strap of his bag and limping after him. "Surrounded by your fellow Kaiju groupies and all. What about the rest of us who maintain some shred of sanity?"

"Hey, just because I find Kaiju fascinating doesn't mean I want to worship the things," Newt retorted. "Dude… I think these stairs are Kaiju bone. They really believe in recycling here."

Hermann rolled his eyes but trailed after him. "Groupie."

"Buzzkill," Newt retorted.

The ivory dome of Reckoner's skull loomed over them, the short, blunt muzzle serving as a sort of entryway. Whatever teeth the monster had possessed had long been removed, either by the builders of the temple or Hannibal's harvesters. Ironically, while many of the other bones littering the Slums bore gouges from the harvesters or scratched-in graffiti cursing the monster and its ilk, the temple itself was untouched. Perhaps the cult had a good security system… or perhaps people were too intimidated or unnerved by the cultists to interfere with one of their temples.

An entryway had been hollowed out of the end of Reckoner's muzzle and fitted with a set of carved teak doors. Newt set his suitcase down and reached up to knock, then spotted a button set into the doorframe. Figuring it was some sort of doorbell or intercom system, he pressed it… and leaped back with a yelp when a harsh voice thundered out from a hidden loudspeaker.

" _We don't give charity here!"_ That gruff dismissal was followed up by the same phrase in Cantonese.

"Jesus!" Newt exclaimed, shaking his hand as if the button had stung him.

" _Wrong denomination,"_ the voice replied curtly. _"There's a Catholic church just outside the slums if that's what you're after."_

"No, no, no, we're not here for a handout," Hermann cut in, pushing Newt aside to address the speaker. "We're here to speak to whoever's in charge!"

" _If this is about the court case, talk to our attorney."_

"We want to speak to whoever's in charge!" Hermann repeated. "Your high priest, your archbishop, your shaman, whatever you have! We were told we could find sanctuary here!"

" _We're not a hotel or a soup kitchen."_

"Tell your priestess lady it's me, Newton Geizler!" Newt shouted. "See if that rings any bells for her!"

Silence. Newt shifted uneasily, his grip on Spike tightening until the skin mite began gurgling in protest. He was about ready to lose his nerve and bolt when the voice resumed, sounding far friendlier than before.

" _High Priestess Mikhail welcomes you, Dr. Newton Geizler. And you, Dr. Hermann Gottlieb. Pass through these doors and walk in peace in the shadow of the Great Destroyers."_

"Uh… thanks, I guess," Newt replied.

The doors creaked open, and the two scientists stepped out of the neon-lit gloom of a rainy Hong Kong evening and into a soft amber glow.

Newt stopped in his tracks, blinking in surprise, rainwater dripping from his clothes and onto the burnt-orange marble floor. He had expected the Kaiju temple to look like something out of a horror movie inside – gothic-style architecture, Lovecraftian-style gargoyles leering from the ceiling, maybe some tentacle-themed décor or a Kaiju-blue color scheme. But the main room – the chapel or sanctuary or whatever they liked to call it – was a simple domed chamber with smooth walls of a light caramel color and plain rows of wooden benches lined up before a raised platform and mahogany-wood lecturn at the head of the room. Red-robed acolytes glided around the perimeter of the room, lighting candles in teardrop-shaped wall sconces, and two nuns in sweeping, stylized hats whispered softly to one another as they set out stacks of clean cups and linens at a table near the front of the chamber. Behind the lectern loomed two bronze statues of Kaiju – Trespasser and Karloff, Newt recognized – each with forelimbs raised but with oddly benevolent, noble expressions on their reptilian faces.

He snorted, just a bit disappointed. Except for the Kaiju statues, it looked like any other church. Some part of him had hoped for something a little more exotic…

"Dr. Geizler! You came!"

Newt turned at that shout… and gave an "oof!" of surprise as thin but strong arms swept him up in a hug. The priestess squeezed him tightly, then let him go so suddenly he staggered.

"Friend of yours?" asked Hermann, a slight smirk in his voice. "One of your Kaiju fangirl friends?"

"Shut up," Newt retorted. "It's just the chick that's been bugging me to join their church."

"And I see you have finally taken me up on the offer," she said with a broad grin, clasping her hands before her. She still wore the split headdress and crystal pendant Newt had always seen her wearing, though her silver-green robes were gone at the moment. Instead she wore a turquoise-colored tunic belted in silver, with black leggings and black leather boots.

"High Priestess Fatima Mikhail," she said by way of introduction, extending a long-nailed hand toward Hermann. "It is a pleasure to meet a friend of Dr. Geizler's."

Hermann eyed her hand suspiciously, and after an awkward moment she lowered it. Newt spoke up, hoping to ease the tension a bit.

"Uh… so you said we were welcome here anytime, right?" he ventured. "I mean, that's been your spiel every time we've talked…"

"And the offer still stands, if you are willing to take it," she replied.

"Well, yeah," said Newt. "We, uh, kinda lost our jobs. Cutbacks and all, the PPDC's low on funding, has to let some people go… you know the drill. And we don't have anywhere else to go, really… so I'd hoped we could find a place here?"

She cocked her head to one side in consideration, but was otherwise silent.

"I mean, you did say if the PPDC ever decided they didn't need us, we had a place here," Newt insisted. "Or I did, but that Hermann was welcome too... so um, please?"

She nodded slowly, though something about the glint in her eyes seemed to say that she knew they were hiding something. "But of course… we cannot deny those who have held congress with the Messengers." She beckoned for them to follow her. "Come… we will find you quarters. You will have to sleep in the monks' rooms, but I trust you will find them adequate."

"That will do nicely," Hermann told her, somehow managing a smile. "We thought we would be sleeping in the streets tonight, so whatever rooms you have will be a blessing."

She smiled warmly. "Anything to help those who had the courage to commune with the Messengers… and the good fortune to live to tell the tale. We do hope that, in return for our charity, you will be willing to share what you have learned from the Messengers of the Deep Ones with us. It would be beneficial to all our followers."

Newt gulped. Well, he should have expected there to be a catch buried in this somewhere. Nobody just did anything for free in this day and age, and apparently that also applied to a bunch of lunatic cultists whose idea of worshiping their gods entailed sabotaging Jaegers and declaring city-destroying monsters as the equivalent of archangels. Still, he had been hoping they'd ask for something a little more benign, such as cleaning temple floors or doing the cultists' laundry.

"We will be willing to share anything that we feel we are able to," Hermann replied, choosing his words with care. "However, there are things the Deep Ones reveal to us that are too sacred to share at this time. Mankind has not been fully prepared to hear them, and they must remain hidden until the time is right."

Newt gave Hermann a weird look, but the mathematician just smirked at him in response. The biologist made a face before turning back to the priestess. Half of him hoped that Mikhail wouldn't buy Hermann's excuse, but to his surprise – and annoyance – she seemed to accept it.

"But of course. Though we would ask that you not withhold it longer than absolutely necessary." She motioned with one slim hand. "Follow me. The acolytes will take your bags, and see that your pet has adequate accommodations."

"Oi!" Newt held Spike aloft, out of reach of the red-robed young man who had come to collect him. "Spike goes where I go!"

Mikhail chuckled. "He is a sacred creature, Dr. Geizler. You cannot expect him to live in the quarters of common humans, even if they happen to be prophets. No… he needs a proper abode, something worthy of his status. Besides, he looks in need of an ammonia bath – his carapace is shriveling."

"Huh… never thought of him as sacred," Newt noted, and lowered his arms to let the acolyte take the skin mite. "Just be careful with him, okay? Oh, and he likes his bedding to be aluminum foil. And he likes chicken livers and hearts, so I hope you have some of those… and make sure they're warmed up before you feed them to him, he doesn't like them cold…"

Mikhail chuckled. "Don't worry, Dr. Geizler. He is in good hands with us." She patted his arm. "Come… let us get you settled in."

It was Newt's turn to smirk as he and Hermann followed the priestess into a narrow but well-lit hallway that wound deeper into the temple. "See? Someone here appreciates Spike. Here you thought he was just a pest."

"Oh, stuff it," Hermann huffed. "Sacred creature or not, that doesn't mean I have to like the disgusting thing."

"Hey, watch it, that's a sacred creature you're dissing!" Newt laughed. Then he lowered his voice, lagging a few steps behind Mikhail so she wouldn't overhear. "This went a lot easier than I thought. Who'da thought they'd see us as prophets?"

Hermann shook his head. "It's almost too easy. I don't like it."

"You don't like anything," Newt pointed out. "Geez, can't we just get lucky for once? Just be glad things went easy for once."

"Nothing in this war comes easy – if it's easy, then it's a trap or a mistake. Keep on guard, Newton. I don't like this place, and I have a feeling things are going to get a lot harder from here on out."

* * *

_Pain… splitting pain that seemed to pierce her head and body with cold steel… an unimaginable pressure threatening to crush her…_

_No light, no sound… the awful sensation of something skittering across her armor, prodding and grasping within her joints… something thick and coated in slime weaving its way through her body to hold her together…_

_It wasn't supposed to end like this… the end should have been quick and merciful… not this drawn-out suffering… not being put on display… not tortured and manhandled like some sort of lab animal…_

_A name bubbled to the surface of her mind… the sole thing that gave her hope… the lifeline she clung to for the sake of her own sanity… the name of the one most precious to her…_

_Pain flared brightly through her chassis as something forced its way into her head… invading her Conn Pod… tiny alien digits pawing at the inner workings, trying to force her to give up her secrets… trying to find what made her kind so special, how they could use her for a second chance at their war…_

_No… no, she wouldn't let this happen… she would die for good before she let them use her against humankind… against her brother… his name pulsed through her, a mental cry that suffused her chassis with a flood of dazzling energy… a cry that seemed to echo across worlds…_

_RALEIGH!_

Raleigh sat bolt upright, gasping for breath. The pain and pressure had eased, but adrenaline still surged through his body as his groggy mind groped for answers. It took him almost a full minute to realize it had just been a dream, that he was in his quarters in the Shatterdome and not in some dark, silent prison.

He flopped back into bed amid a tangle of sheets. A light sheen of sweat covered his skin, and he wiped his brow in disgust. Bad enough that he was being plagued by nightmares almost every night now – he didn't need night sweats on top of it.

He closed his eyes, trying to get back to sleep. But sleep returned in fits and starts, each time plunging him back into darkness and terror… and an ice-cold pressure that seemed to squeeze the air from his lungs…

Finally he gave up, and he kicked himself free of his bedsheets and rolled out of his cot. It was almost his usual time to get up anyhow. Never mind that he was still exhausted and felt like he'd just been smacked across the room by Leatherback – he might as well shower and try to get something constructive done so long as he couldn't sleep.

One shower and several cups of coffee later he was on his way to the Jaeger bay, not making eye contact with anyone. The residents of the Shatterdome were perfectly happy to ignore him – not out of intentional malice or disdain, but simply because they recognized the expression of someone moody and out of sorts from lack of sleep, and judged it best not to bother him. And unlike his previous exile, which had left him lonely and desperate for company, he was perfectly willing to be left alone right now.

Unlike Raleigh, the rest of the Shatterdome seemed to be in high spirits, and for good reason. It had been almost two weeks since the Weis had awakened, and all three of the Shatterdome's Jaegers and their Rangers had seen great strides in their developments – even if only two of the three Jaegers appreciated said developments at all.

Mustang Omega was still being hailed as the hero of the second Hong Kong battle, and many of the mechanics and tech teams lavished attention on the experimental Jaeger. They continued to fine-tune the mecha, working out bugs in its programming, overhauling its engines and motor-control systems and even buffing out scratches in its plating. Had Mustang possessed any degree of sentience it would have been preening at the attention… but the maintenance crews might as well have been trying to pamper a wall for all the reaction it gave. Its pilots, at least, appreciated the attention by proxy, and never hesitated to brag about their triumphant debut battle at every opportunity.

The other two Jaegers commanded their fair share of attention as well. Crimson Typhoon refused to let his Rangers return to the medical center, but he finally relented and allowed medics to make regular visits to them in his hangar. The triplets were recovering with remarkable speed, upgrading from being bedridden to darting around the Jaeger bay in wheelchairs within a matter of days. They laughed and teased with the red Jaeger, and Crimson positively glowed with pleasure at being reunited with his pilots.

The Kaidonovskys, too, continued to improve, albeit more slowly. Aleksis could finally make his way about without a walker, though he moved more slowly than before and would probably limp for the rest of his life, and Sasha had regained most of her strength. Cherno Alpha fussed over the two of them endlessly, and fretted and fidgeted whenever they left his side to eat or take care of personal matters. And the Mark I continued to pay visits to Crimson, ensuring his friend was okay and occasionally indulging him in whatever game they could cobble together from scrounged bits.

It was a good time to be a Ranger… unless one happened to be a Ranger adrift, as Raleigh was. A Ranger without a Jaeger.

As he entered the bay he could see Cherno and Crimson engaged in another game, a large-scale version of checkers played out on a "board" made from crisscrossing lines of cable. This time it seemed that the game wasn't merely to keep the Jaegers distracted – Mako had both of them, as well as their Rangers, hooked up to scanners and EKG machines, gathering information and studying the fluctuations in the drift and the Rangers' brain activity. Even with the Shatterdome's resident scientists absent, Mako was determined to continue the study of the Jaegers, and increase their understanding of what made them sentient and why.

Raleigh pulled up a crate and sat down near Mako to watch and to be ready to help as needed. He wasn't scientifically-minded at all, so his assistance mostly amounted to fetching supplies or moving things around for the techs and medics. Still, it was some way he could contribute, and not feel like a fifth wheel – a feeling he was growing all too familiar with.

He tried to focus on watching the game… but something gnawed restlessly at the back of his mind, making him shift and squirm in place. His gut twisted as if it were disagreeing with the morning's coffee already, and his skin prickled with gooseflesh. It wasn't fear, not exactly… more of a quietly mounting dread, as if something huge were about to happen and only he could sense it…

"Beckett!"

He jumped in place. "Whaa?"

"I said hand us that spool of wire there, will ya?" Herc ordered. "The wires we got ain't long enough to reach Crimson's Conn Pod."

"Right, right." He got up and snagged the spool off a nearby supply cart, handing it over. Duty completed, he went to sit down again, only to notice Mako giving him a penetrating stare.

"What?" he demanded, more shortly than he'd intended.

She looked around as if to make sure no one else could hear, then leaned in slightly. "You feel it too?"

"Feel what?"

"You know what I mean. A…" She searched for the word. "A premonition. The feeling that something is coming."

He nodded. "Yeah… I had a nightmare last night and it's still bugging me. I guess you're picking it up through the drift hangover."

She shook her head. "It's not that. I've felt your feelings in the drift hangover before… this isn't it. It's too strong." She hesitated, then pressed on. "I have had dreams too. Of darkness, and pain…"

He blinked up at her, frowning. "But it's someone else's pain, isn't it?"

She nodded. "I think it is Gipsy's."

He flinched at that. "Think we're reliving her final moments? Before she…" He couldn't finish.

"I don't know." She looked back at Cherno and Crimson, still engrossed in their game. "I wish I could have known her better, as you did."

Emotion welled up in his throat at that, and he forced it back down. No use letting the rest of the Shatterdome see him blubber like a child, even if it was over Gipsy. "She liked you. I felt it. She would have done anything to protect you."

Mako blinked back tears of her own, and opened her mouth to reply…

_RALEIGH!_

Pain streaked through his entire body, blacking out his vision. He barely heard Mako's sudden cry or the startled chatter of the technicians – a pulsing agony blocked out everything else. Pain, fear, desperation… a longing so fierce it made his gut ache…

A claxon alarm sounded through the haze of pain… the Kaiju alert.

"Not again!" Herc snapped. "Get Mustang online! Where the hell are the Rossis?"

"They're suiting up," Tendo replied. "But I want to send Crimson and Cherno with Mustang as backup. Aleksis, Sasha, do you think Cherno's ready for another encounter?"

Aleksis snorted. "More than ready. He says he is going out whether you like it or not."

Hands gripped Raleigh's shoulders, pulling him back onto his feet. He staggered, stumbling against his benefactor – Sasha, he realized – before regaining his balance. His vision kept flickering out, a suffocating blackness overtaking him in strange bursts. Beside him Mako clutched Herc's arm, trying to stay upright despite looking as if she were about to pass out.

Cherno squealed in alarm, and Raleigh sensed more than saw the Mark I looming over them, a hand outstretched.

"He is worried about you," Sasha told him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Raleigh lied. "Don't worry about me, big guy… you've got a Kaiju to fight…"

Tendo's voice rang down from the LOCCENT, somehow calm and collected despite the situation. "Stand down! No Jaegers are going out!"

"What?" Cheung glared up at the LOCCENT in horror. "There's a Kaiju out there! It needs to be stopped!"

"It's not a Kaiju."

"Then what the bloody hell is it?" Herc demanded. "Has to be damned big to set off the sensors, bigger than a submarine at least…"

Tendo paused a moment, filling the Shatterdome with a tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. "Raleigh, Mako, you may want to sit down for this. It's… it's Gipsy."

Raleigh's legs folded beneath him, and he would have collapsed had Sasha not gripped him to keep him upright. It couldn't be… it had to be a joke. Gipsy was gone… her core had overloaded and detonated to seal the Breach. There was no way…

Another cry rang through his mind – _Raleigh!_

Despite everything telling him it was impossible, that this had to be some kind of sick cosmic prank, his heart called back – _Gipsy!_

 _Raleigh!_ A burst of feeling that could only be a sob. _Raleigh… Mako… you're okay…_

 _Oh god, Gipsy…_ He couldn't hold it back anymore – tears poured down his cheeks as he gave vent to everything he had held in for so long, the grief and guilt that had plagued him every time Gipsy crossed his mind. _I'm so sorry… I abandoned you, I ran away and left you to die… I'm so, so sorry…_

Warmth flooded him, Gipsy's mental touch trying to soothe him and push away the pain. _I missed you both so much…_

Shouts brought him back to reality, and his vision focused in time to see Cherno bolting through the open bay doors. Crimson was two steps behind, both Jaegers' thunderous gaits shaking the floor with every step.

Raleigh squirmed free of Sasha's grip and ran after them. Someone grabbed at his jacket, trying to stop him, but he lashed out, feeling his fist connect with something that yelped in pain before taking off again. He'd apologize later – right now, someone else needed him.

Crimson and Cherno were already outside and stepping into the harbor, wading out to intercept the form emerging from the water. The intruder's head and shoulders were all that were visible, the rest still submerged… but it was enough for Raleigh to recognize her by. And that was all that it took for him to bolt for the shore, the sight of her giving him an impossible burst of energy.

Cherno bent down, gathering the Mark III up in his arms. Raleigh's gut clenched in disgust and horror – Gipsy was, quite literally, a wreck. The blast must have blown her apart, and her torso still gaped open to expose mangled internal components… but a weird bluish-green material held her pieces together, a slimy tissue keeping the surviving bits of her limbs and chassis fixed together in a crude facsimile of her. Rust and barnacles caked the edges of her wounds, and half her Conn Pod had been torn off, replaced with a thick wad of cartilaginous tissue that glistened sickeningly in the morning sunlight.

Raleigh doubled over, retching. What had they done to her? The thought of the Precursors pawing at her with their slimy little hands, defiling her chassis with their biotech slime, made him alternately want to throw up and venture back into the Breach to crush every last one of them.

Cherno paused about fifty feet from Raleigh, the surf still surging around his feet. Then, with infinite care, he knelt in front of the Ranger, lowering Gipsy toward him.

"Gipsy… oh my god, what did they do to you?" Tears continued to stream down his face as he watched her. Up close she looked even worse…

A faint, sputtering purr came from what was left of her engines. Somehow, impossibly, despite the blast of her reactor and the strange alien tissue holding her together, she still functioned. She was alive, if only through sheer force of will.

_Raleigh… it's dark… I can't see you…_

"I'm right here," he assured her. "Mako's on her way too. Gipsy… aw god…"

Joy coursed through him – Gipsy's joy. _I missed you._

He couldn't reply – he was crying too hard to form words. One of Gipsy's arms, missing all but two fingers and with a thick tendril of tissue keeping it connected at the elbow joint, twitched slightly. Then, with great effort, she raised it toward him.

 _Don't cry,_ she begged. _Please don't cry. I'd do it all over again if I had to. I'd rather die than have you and Mako hurt._

Raleigh reached out toward her, despite her hand being too high up for him to reach. Laughter mingled with his sobs. She was back… somehow, despite all the odds, she'd returned to him. And with her return it felt like a wound deep inside him had closed.

Herc's voice intruded on their reunion: "Get her into the Shatterdome. Tendo wants her given a complete scan to make sure she ain't contaminated or infected with something nasty. Then we got a LOT of work ahead of us…"


	16. Broken Bird

_Sasha caught Mako in Cherno's Conn Pod, studying a system readout with a contemplative expression. Her first impulse was to start shouting – what right did anyone have to barge into their Jaeger's cockpit uninvited, without asking – but she managed to quell her annoyance and avoid acting on her first impulse. This wasn't some rubbernecking intruder who just wanted to poke at Cherno mindlessly; this was Pentecost's protégé, the young woman who had worked so tirelessly to see Gipsy restored to full repair. Certainly she had a good reason for being here._

_She waited a moment to see if Mako would notice her, but when she gave no sign of knowing Sasha was there she cleared her throat. Mako jumped and whirled, her blue-streaked black hair fanning out at the motion._

" _Ranger Kaidonovsky!" The young woman gave a respectful bow. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see how Cherno Alpha's systems compared to Gipsy's."_

_Sasha nodded to acknowledge the greeting. "Apology accepted. Just ask one of us next time. We would have been happy to introduce you."_

_Mako looked puzzled at Sasha's choice of words, but she didn't comment on it. "I will. You have a fascinating Jaeger. It's amazing that she has kept running this long."_

" _He," Sasha corrected automatically. "Cherno is no lady. He is a warrior."_

_Mako offered a knowing smile in return. "Women can be warriors too. You're proof of that."_

_A smile played across Sasha's lips. She liked young Mako already. Pity she had kept so aloof during her time here – despite being in charge of Gipsy's restoration, she almost never interacted with the Rangers except to ask the most perfunctory of questions. Whether that was due to shyness on her part or simply being too involved in her own project to have time to be social, who could say?_

" _You do Cherno's repairs yourself?"_

" _Not all of them," Sasha replied, "but we help. The best way to be familiar with your Jaeger is to know him inside and out. Cherno is not just a weapon, but a partner."_

_Mako nodded, a slight gleam in her eyes. "You've done well. You've kept Cherno running when many of his generation have long been destroyed or retired. That speaks much of both you and him."_

_A soft rumble bubbled up from Cherno's engines, and Mako started slightly. Sasha just laughed – gently, so as not to make Mako think she was mocking her._

" _Cherno remembers many of his comrades," she explained. "And he still misses them."_

_Mako let her gaze wander about the Conn Pod, inquisitive eyes picking out new equipment installed amid old consoles and wires trailing throughout the cockpit. "You speak of him as if he is alive."_

_Sasha said nothing, letting Mako decide where to take the conversation next. Would she believe her if she told her the truth? Or would she decide the older woman was crazy and dismiss the idea of a living Jaeger as a delusion?_

" _Sometimes… when I'm working on Gipsy… I get the feeling that she knows I'm there. That… she's watching me. I tell myself I'm imagining things, but I can never quite shake it. I had almost convinced myself it was just me being silly, but now… I'm not so sure."_

" _It isn't silly." Sasha reached out to gently pat one of Cherno's consoles. "We built the Jaegers, yes, but do we really understand them? Or the drift that gives them power? No… I believe when we drift with them, we leave an impression of our soul behind. And the Jaegers are responding to that. Cherno, Gipsy, Crimson, Striker… they are not just machines. They are fellow warriors. Remember that."_

_Mako nodded. "I will."_

_Sasha smiled. "You understand the Jaegers, you are intimate with Gipsy's construction… why has Pentecost not considered you as her pilot? You have the makings of a great Ranger in you."_

_Her eyes flashed, and Sasha wondered if she'd hit a nerve. But when Mako spoke next, it wasn't with rage, but with a sullen resentment._

" _I am forbidden from joining the candidates."_

" _Does Pentecost not think you are ready?"_

_"I've BEEN ready," she insisted. "I should be the one to pilot Gipsy. But he says now is not the time! He made me a promise, but it means nothing!"_

_Sasha sensed there was something going on here that she didn't know. Perhaps Mako wasn't as meek and well-mannered as she appeared to be, and being banned from Gipsy's Conn Pod was her punishment. Or perhaps he had more exacting standards than Sasha did, and didn't consider her ready to join the candidates._

_Or, more likely, he was just being overprotective of his adopted daughter. While the Marshal didn't discuss it and played no favorites among the workers and Rangers of the Shatterdome, it wasn't exactly a secret that he had raised Mako after her parents were killed in the destruction of Tokyo. Sasha had never imagined the grim, stern Pentecost to be the fatherly type, but he seemed to have done well enough with Mako… even if she found his concern stifling._

_Mako was still on Sasha's mind when she encountered Pentecost later that same evening, and so she brought it up first thing._

" _You are cruel to the girl."_

_Pentecost didn't even have to ask which girl – there were many female workers in the Shatterdome, but only one who would have cause to work with both Sasha and the Marshal on a regular basis. "Any problems between Miss Mori and myself are strictly our business, Kaidonovsky. You have no reason to get involved."_

" _She is the best candidate by far," Sasha countered, ignoring him. "She knows Gipsy far better than any of those other glory-seekers you've recruited. She has trained for this moment all her life-"_

" _And therein lies the problem," he replied. "That level of obsession is unhealthy, especially for her. I've made my decision regarding Miss Mori's candidacy, and it's final."_

_She scowled. "You won't even give her a chance?"_

" _Now is not the time for this," he retorted. "Not when we're ten minutes from a neural handshake."_

" _Pentecost… she knows. About the Jaegers."_

_The Marshal raised an eyebrow, the closest she had ever seen him come to a look of surprise. He motioned for her to keep talking._

" _I spoke with her in Cherno's Conn Pod," Sasha explained. "She has sensed Gipsy's presence. She knows the Jaegers are more than mere machines… she knows they are not just weapons, but fellow warriors. She has the proper respect for them – which is far more than I can say about some reckless fools who call themselves Rangers." She almost brought up the younger Hansen at that point, but thought better of it. "Even if she were only a mediocre pilot, even if she knew nothing else about Jaegers… that alone makes her qualified in my eyes."_

_Pentecost was silent a moment, turning that revelation over in his mind. Then he sighed. "Your idea of what qualifies a Ranger is very different from mine… or the PPDC's, for that matter."_

" _We are Rangers," she replied. "We think like renegades. It's how we accomplish the impossible."_

_Pentecost sighed. "There's a lot of truth in that." He nodded. "Very well. I've made Mako a promise… and from what you say, it sounds like it's high time I kept it." And with that, he turned and walked away._

_Sasha smiled to herself. She had opened the door of opportunity for young Mako. It was up to her to prove herself from here on out._

* * *

It was never truly silent in the Jaeger bay – there was always the rumble and clank of machinery, the hum of equipment, and of late the crooning and thrumming of the Jaegers expressing themselves. But right now it seemed much quieter than usual. Crimson and Cherno were silent, and the idle chatter that usually filled the gaps between louder sounds was absent. It was as if the entire Shatterdome were paying reverence to a fallen comrade… an analogy that wasn't so far off the mark.

Cherno crouched beside the blue Jaeger, her remaining hand laying limply in his palm. His internals clenched with horror and pity as he looked over her ruined form – ravaged by Kaiju fangs and claws as well as the final devastating blast that had obliterated the Breach, and defiled by the Precursor's biotech slime. And her presence – the spark of life that many Jaegers possessed – was so faint that he feared it would snuff out at any moment. She was alive, but only just.

Something tickled the side of his leg, and he twisted his torso around to look down at Tendo. Not for the first time he wished he had an actual neck joint; it would make turning his Conn Pod to look at something much easier.

"Cherno, is Gipsy ready for us to begin cleanup and repairs?"

He gestured for the Shatterdome commander to wait a moment, then turned back to the blue Jaeger. _Gipsy… how do you feel?_

She whimpered, a high creak of grinding metal that gurgled and crunched sickeningly as her few functioning components ground bits of organic matter as they struggled to work. _It hurts…_

 _I know, Gipsy… I know._ He rested his free hand on her Conn Pod, careful not to touch the massive wad of tissue that filled in the missing half. _But the techs are going to make you better. They'll clean you up, get this blue gunk off of you, and get you fixed. If you'll just let them close…_

 _No!_ The index finger and thumb of her hand – all that was left after the devastating explosion of her reactor core – tightened around his own hand. _No! I don't want anyone touching me!_

_They're humans, not Precursors. They're not going to hurt you._

_I don't care!_ Her engines coughed in a gurgling sob. _I don't want them poking around at my insides. I've had too many little hands pawing me… hurting me…_

Cherno squeezed her hand, trying to impart a little comfort. _If you don't let them help you, it'll keep hurting. Please, they only want to help you. And your Rangers are here, and me and Crimson. We'll make sure they're careful, okay?_

She whined again, clinging to his hand. _No… I don't want anyone but my Rangers touching me. Or you and Crimson. I know you're safe… I don't trust anyone else._

His fans gusted out a forceful blast of air in a deep sigh. _Papa, tell Tendo that Gipsy still doesn't want anyone but Jaegers and her Rangers touching her. Whatever the Precursors did to her, it… it scarred her._

Aleksis relayed the information to Tendo. He listened attentively, then muttered something under his breath that Cherno didn't entirely catch, though he suspected it was pretty profane and directed at the creatures that lived beneath the Breach.

"I can understand that," Tendo said at length, "but that doesn't exactly make our jobs any easier. We need to get her cleaned up and fixed, and we can't do that unless she'll let us get close."

Raleigh spoke up from his vigil at Gipsy's side. "If someone tells us what to do, we'll do it. I'm not afraid of hard work!"

"I'll help as well," Mako added, looking grimly determined despite the tears still shining on her face. "I restored Gipsy once. I can do it again."

Crimson crooned softly, and Cherno added a thrum of his own. He'd never helped repair a member of his own kind before, but then, just about anything he did would be for the first time, he supposed. And if it meant that he and Crimson wouldn't be the last of their kind – and if it meant restoring a comrade they'd given up as lost forever – then he would do just about anything, even swim into the Breach.

"I appreciate your willingness to help, but it's going to take a lot more than four people to get Gipsy back in working order," Tendo replied. "It took hundreds of workers almost a year to repair her the first time."

"You've got a lot bigger hands this time around," Raleigh pointed out. "Crimson and Cherno can lift and attach big parts, and Mako and I can do the detail work. Please… we just want to help Gipsy. She's scared and in pain."

Herc snorted. "It's insane… but everything's been insane about this whole venture so far. I hate to admit it, but it's our best option."

Tendo sighed deeply. "All right… it's not the plan of action I would have liked, but it's going to have to do for now." He looked up at the two functional Jaegers. "Cherno, Crimson, the first order of business is to get that organic matter off and out of her. Our biohazard crews have cleared it as not being toxic, but all the same be careful. We don't know how deeply embedded it is in Gipsy's frame."

Cherno gave an affirmative chirr, then looked back down at Gipsy. _Will you let us get this stuff off of you?_

 _Please,_ she pleaded. _It feels disgusting. And I don't want more reminders of that place._

 _We'll have you out of it soon, dear,_ Crimson assured her, crouching on her other side. _Just hold still. I don't want to nick you by accident._ The saws on his two right hands activated, and he began to cut away at the thick tendrils binding her side with almost surgical precision.

"All right, I want that stuff cleared away as soon as they get it off Gipsy!" Tendo shouted. "Put on hazmat suits before handling it – it might not be toxic, but we'd rather be safe than sorry at this point. Save some of it for the science division and haul the rest to the incinerator! Mako, Raleigh, get suited up and get ready to do the detail work. And I hope neither of you are squeamish, this is going to be messy…"

As Cherno worked on unwinding the tissue from around her arm, Gipsy spoke up. _You and Crimson are alive. I thought… I thought you'd died fighting Otachi and Leatherback._

 _We almost did._ Cherno pulled the tendril away and set it off to the side. _If you and your Rangers hadn't come when you did… we just might have. But Mama and Papa are tough. It takes more than a Kaiju to bring them down._

Her engine snorted, and he looked up quickly, afraid he might have hurt her. But a trickle of amusement colored her tone, and he realized she had been laughing. _Your Rangers are some of the toughest I've ever seen. You know… I always thought it was silly of you to call them your parents. But I guess it's not any sillier than me thinking of Raleigh as my brother, or Mako as my sister._

Cherno shrugged. _They see me as their son, and they treat me like a son. How can I not think of them as my parents?_ He winced internally as her lower arm, now free of the tissue, fell off in his hands. _Oh no! I'm sorry!_

_It's okay… that stuff was all that was holding it on. You guys can reattach it… right?_

_I think so._ Jaegers lost arms all the time in battle – even he'd had his arm reattached not too long ago. But that was with experienced repair and construction crews. Would he and Gipsy's Rangers be able to do the same, even with someone more experienced telling them what to do?

 _What happened there?_ he asked. _In the Breach? If… if you wanted to talk about it._

A slight shiver rippled through her chassis. _I don't like to think about it._

"Think about what?" That was Raleigh, looking up from where Bailey was helping him get zipped into a hazmat suit for the cleanup. "Gipsy, talk to us."

 _What they were doing to me in that other place… the Anteverse._ Another shudder. _It hurt… it hurt, and I didn't like what they were doing to me. What they were making me become…_

"What's goin' on?" demanded Herc. "Dammit, we need to get these Jaegers proper voices somehow. We're missin' out on important conversations here…"

"She means what the Precursors did to her," Mako replied. "But if she doesn't want to talk about it, don't force her. She's already scared and hurting!"

"All the same, we need to know," Tendo replied, not without sympathy. "Anything she can tell us that can possibly help us. If we know what the Precursors are planning, we can stay one step ahead of them. Especially with another Breach open. At this point we can't afford to lose valuable intel just to spare her feelings." He paused a moment, then added "I'm sorry. I know she's traumatized, but that's just the way of things in a war."

Mako scowled at that, and Raleigh looked as if Tendo had asked him to cut off a limb. Cherno couldn't blame them – he might not be as close to Gipsy as her Rangers, but he still hated the thought of making her relive something terrible. But the Shatterdome leader had some valid points. The Precursors weren't going to go away – if anything, losing Gipsy would probably just make them angry and all the more determined to retaliate. They needed whatever information about the Anteverse that she could give them.

And perhaps, if they understood what the Precursors had done to her, they could better help her recover. That would be worth it in his mind.

 _Gipsy… please tell us what happened,_ he urged.

_No. I don't want to talk about it._

_If we don't know, we can't help you,_ Crimson pointed out. _Please, it's for your own good. And if you hold it in, it will just hurt all the more. Like an untreated wound – it will just rust and decay if you don't repair it._ His hand rested on her Conn Pod. _I'm going to pull this out… be brave for me, dear._

Her presence seemed to curl in on itself, as if she were tensing for a blow. _Okay… I'm ready. And… and I'll talk. But not until Crimson's done._

Crimson nodded, and he sank his fingers into the mass of tissue and gave a series of sharp yanks. The cartilaginous stuff clung stubbornly at first, then suddenly came free with a wet sucking sound. The scarlet Jaeger stared distastefully at the lump in his hand, as if he'd just pulled a dead fish from her interior.

 _Disgusting,_ he griped, setting the lump down.

 _Thank you,_ Gipsy murmured. _I think that was the worst of all they did. I never wanted anything but my Rangers in there. Having that in my Conn Pod… it was horrible._

 _What were they trying to do?_ Cherno asked. _Torture you? Did they want information?_

_No… I don't think they even realized I knew what they were doing to me. They don't see their Kaiju as alive and sentient – they're just giant tools. Why would they think Jaegers are any different?_

_Oh, right. But still… why all this? What was it for?_

_I couldn't see or hear them,_ she admitted. _Only feel what they were doing. But… somehow, when they reattached my arm with this stuff… I could feel it again, and even move my fingers. Same with the stuff they stuck inside me. It was like they were using their own tech to fix me. I think… I think they were trying to rebuild me. Or at least figure out how I worked so they could build a Jaeger of their own._

Cherno shivered at that. A Precursor Jaeger… the very thought of that made his reactor bubble with disgust. It wasn't enough that they wanted to steal this world from the humans; they wanted to steal the Jaegers too! Slag superior technology, those aliens were nothing more than slimy, cowardly thieves all around! Not to mention cruel, given what they'd done to Gipsy.

_How did you get away?_

_Something… happened. I don't know what, but… but suddenly I could move. I could never do that before, not without my Rangers. I thought it was something the Precursors did to me, but… but you and Crimson are moving around too, so I guess that's not it. I couldn't see or hear… but I could feel. And I could feel them burrowing inside me, trying to install their gross tech, and I panicked. I think I killed a lot of them getting away._ A burst of triumph at that. _I don't know why they let me go… maybe I was more trouble than I was worth to them. Or maybe they wanted to send a message to the PPDC. I don't know. I'm just glad to be away from there._

A message… that was entirely possible. If they couldn't use Gipsy as a test subject, they could certainly find other uses. And letting her find her way back to the Shatterdome would send a definite message to the PPDC – that the Precursors were no longer scared of the Jaegers, and that if any of them fell into their hands, this would be their ultimate fate.

But that had backfired on them, Cherno thought smugly. They had Gipsy back… and once she was repaired, she'd have even more of a reason to fight with all her core against the monsters of the Breach. The Precursors were going to wish they'd never even set a hand, paw, or tentacle on Gipsy Danger or any other Jaeger…

A sudden thought crossed his mind, and he squeezed Gipsy's hand before remembering it was no longer attached to her. _Gipsy! What about Striker? Was he there too? Did you feel him there? If they got him too, we should go back and rescue him!_

A flicker of surprise. _No… and Cherno, he couldn't have been there. Pentecost and Chuck blew up the bomb he was carrying. He was… obliterated._

Cherno's core sank. So much for a rescue mission… or for any hope that another Jaeger had survived. More than anything, he didn't want the three of them to be the only Jaegers left. Though the likelihood of them ever finding other Jaegers was pretty slim, he still clung to it.

Raleigh, meanwhile, had overheard Gipsy's side of the conversation, and he relayed it to Tendo and Hansen. The former paled, while the latter let loose an impressive string of expletives.

"Bloody buggers can't leave well enough alone, can they?"

"We can only hope that whatever intelligence they gained from Gipsy was limited," Tendo replied. "And despite her condition, having Gipsy back means that we have another Jaeger… and one more line of defense against the Kaiju."

"If we can fix her," Baily pointed out. "She's in really bad shape… even Cherno didn't look this bad. And do we even have the funds?"

"We have resources," countered Tendo. "Oblivion Bay, for one thing."

"The Jaeger graveyard?" Jin asked with a grimace.

"The very same. We got parts from other Mark Is from there to fix Cherno. I see no reason why we can't scavenge components to repair Gipsy either. We just need to send a team out to fetch them."

Jin shook his head. "Not me. No way, man. That place is haunted."

Herc snorted. "You've been hearin' too many stories, kid."

"Stories have to have a basis in fact, right?" Cheung chimed in. "And the Oblivion Bay stories are the worst! Something screams there at night… and there are people who say the Jaegers get up and walk around when no one's looking. They've even got photos showing Jaegers that have shifted around during the night. It's spooky."

Mako's eyes flashed in sudden interest. "Moving Jaegers? So there could be more living Jaegers! Ones that have come to life and are just waiting for their Rangers!"

Cherno perked up at that, giving a squeal of excitement.

"If there were a living Jaeger in Oblivion Bay, we would have known by now," Tendo countered, deflating Cherno's enthusiasm. "A Jaeger walking around is a tough thing to miss, after all. I still plan on sending a team to gather what parts we need to fix Gipsy. Mark III if you can find them, though Mark II or IV will suffice as well."

Cherno hesitated, then raised his hand.

"Cherno, this isn't school, you can say something without being called on," Tendo told him, though he wore a faint smile as he said that.

He gave a questioning hum and touched his chest.

"What… oh, you want to go with them?"

He bobbed slightly in a nod.

"I thought Oblivion Bay terrified you," Sasha told him, laughing softly.

 _I just want to see it once,_ he told her. _Maybe if I visit, I can see it's nothing to be scared of. And I want to help Gipsy. Even if it's just picking out new parts for her and helping carry them._ He didn't add that he wanted to see if Mako's theory was true… but Sasha seemed to pick up on that anyhow, though she didn't say anything aloud.

"You will need someone to carry the big components," Sasha pointed out.

"We're not ready to reveal to the world at large that the Jaegers are sentient," Tendo told her. "Though… I suppose they'll buy the story that we can't afford to ship the parts. Which isn't that far from the truth, actually." He sighed a bit. "I don't like it, but I'll allow it. But if he goes, you and Aleksis go. I want someone on hand who can translate for him."

"We would be willing to accompany him," she assured him. "Thank you."

 _What's going on?_ Gipsy asked.

 _We're going to help you._ He patted her shoulder. _Hold on, Gipsy. Soon you'll be back on your feet… I promise you that. I'll do everything I can to make sure of it._

* * *

_You know, the Kaiju Cult isn't exactly the worst place in the world we could have ended up. A guy could get used to this._

The biggest down side so far to being newly inducted members of the Cult was the fact that, for whatever reason, the High Priestess had Newt and Hermann sharing a bedroom. That meant a nightly bickering session with the stuffy mathematician over something or other, but then, that wasn't exactly anything new. The room was about the size of the average Ranger's quarters back at the Shatterdome, but already a stripe of duct tape divided the room down the center, so Newt's share of the room was pretty cramped already.

But other than that, life with the Cult wasn't too bad. Sure, they were all early risers, and they expected him and Hermann to be present every morning and evening for prayers, but there wasn't any creepy ritual associated with the prayer sessions. It mostly amounted to going to a circular chamber with a blue-tiled floor and mosaics of various Kaiju on the walls, sitting in a ring on the floor, and reciting a few lines thanking the Deep Ones for the Messengers and vowing to cleanse themselves for the Day of Judgment. In a sense, it was just a meditation session with some spiritual mumbo-jumbo to memorize – and he'd gone through worse than that in Catholic school as a boy, to be honest.

His daily routine was nothing to complain about either. So long as they showed up for prayers and didn't vandalize anything he and Hermann had free reign of the temple, save the Priestess' quarters and the Inner Sanctum. Hermann spent most of his time in the temple's small library, while Newt explored as much of the place as he could get away with, admiring the architecture. It was blander than he'd expected, but he'd come across some exquisitely crafted statues, mosaics, and paintings of the Kaiju, and he'd spent hours sketching them in his notebook and identifying which ones were actual Kaiju and which were just flights of fancy on the part of the artist. So far the most impressive piece he'd come across was a steel-and-crystal chandelier hanging in one of the prayer rooms, crafted to look like a monstrous humanoid holding the leashes of five different Kaiju that each held a glowing light fixture in its jaws.

When he wasn't wandering the halls, he was usually tending to Spike in his quarters. The skin mite got a room all to himself – though "habitat" was probably a better term. Said habitat had a sloping floor that had been meticulously crafted to look like the hide of a Kaiju… though Newt suspected that it wasn't actually crafted and was actually carpeted in Kaiju skin. Misters strategically placed on the walls and ceiling frequently sprayed the entire area down with liquid ammonia, meaning Newt had to wear a mask and goggles whenever he paid Spike a visit. Fresh food was left out several times a day, and even better, Spike had company – at least five other skin mites crawled around the makeshift Kaiju flank, though Newt could pick out Spike by his smaller size and the mottling of white on his carapace.

Maybe he and Hermann weren't getting the star treatment Spike was, but as far as Newt was concerned, life was pretty good here. All he had to do was play along with the cultists' little act, and occasionally e-mail a report to the Shatterdome. He did miss the lab, and actually getting to perform studies on Kaiju samples instead of just looking reverently at whatever hunk of tooth or bone the cult had on hand… but for now, this was an agreeable vacation.

Today he had actually joined Hermann in the library, partly to see if it had any new Kaiju-themed works of art but mostly for a change of pace. After walking around and sketching the gargoyle-like Kaiju that supported some of the bookshelves and held reading lamps in their claws, he snagged a newspaper and flopped down in a chair across from Hermann.

"Good to see you're making some effort at pretending to be a normal person," Hermann remarked, not looking up from the weighty tome he was browsing.

"Look who's talking," Newt replied with a grin. "Whatcha reading?"

"It's by the man who founded the Kaiju cult. His rambling and half-incoherent dissertation on how the Kaiju are the harbringers of the apocalypse, and are to be revered as holy."

"So like the Kaiju Cult Bible."

"Except it isn't required reading. And given the amount of crock and bull in this, it's more like reading one of L. Ron Hubbard's books, I suppose."

"You actually read one of those? I just settled for the movie. It's terrible, but it's one of those things that's so terrible it's hilarious, you know?"

"You're an idiot." He glanced up. "Oh god, of everything here, you're going to read THAT?"

Newt looked up from the tabloid he was leafing through. "Hey, just because I read it doesn't mean I believe half of what it says. I'm smart enough to know they just write these to sell papers. And they're funny." He returned his attention to the article. "Besides, it's probably the sanest thing they've got to read here."

Hermann considered that. "Fine, you have a point there. I still think it's silly."

"Says the guy reading the Kaiju Bible."

"Oh, shut up."

Newt stuck his tongue out at Hermann over the paper and continued reading. Looked like they were running another article about that island in the Pacific that had founded its own Jaeger cult. Apparently they had scrounged Jaeger parts that had washed up on their shores and built their own shrine to the giant mecha, and had a high priest and everything. Rather far out, he thought, but then, if a Kaiju cult existed, he supposed a Jaeger cult could exist.

_Wonder if Jaeger cultists and Kaiju cultists would fight if they knew the other existed. Like the Protestants and Catholics in Ireland, or the Jews and Muslims in the Middle East… oh hey, is that a picture of their shrine? I think that's a Conn Pod… there's too much stuff draped over it to identify it, though. Eh, it's probably Photoshopped anyhow…_

"Newton Geizler? Herman Gottlieb?"

Newt glanced up from his paper to see a red-robed acolyte standing before them. He looked to be about fourteen years old, with his head shaved clean and a hint of a tattoo peeking out from the neck of his robe. Once he was sure he had both scientists' attention he bowed deeply, hands clasped before him.

"Your presence is requested by High Priestess Mikhail."

"What for?" asked Hermann, shutting his book with a defiant thump. "She's never requested us before. Not even for your weekly Sabbaths."

"They don't call 'em that," Newt corrected. "They're Vigils."

"Oh, for God's sake, don't tell me you've attended one!"

"A couple," Newt replied. "But only for research purposes! It's not too different from a Catholic communion or a Mormon sacrament, actually – they say a few prayers, then they pass around cups of this blue stuff that tastes like grape Kool-Aid… I was kind of leery about drinking it at first, actually, it kind of reminded me of the whole Jonestown cult thing, but I'm not dead yet, so…"

"You're an idiot."

"You keep saying that!"

"I say it because it's true!"

The acolyte waited patiently for them to finish, but when it became clear they weren't going to let up anytime soon he picked the thickest book he could find off the shelf, raised it over his head, and slammed it down on the table. Newt jumped in surprise, and both men turned to glare at the boy, who continued on unperturbed.

"You are to meet High Priestess Mikhail in the Inner Sanctum," he told them. "As soon as you're able, but preferably before the hour ends."

"Inner… Sanctum?" Newt gulped, excitement and apprehension warring inside him. The thought of getting to look at the one room he'd previously been forbidden from entering was undeniably enticing – who knew what kind of neat swag was in there! But at the same time, knowing Mikhail wanted them in there for a specific purpose was rather ominous.

"Why does she want us?" demanded Hermann. "She hasn't requested us before."

"That's not for me to know," the acolyte replied. "But she wants you there. And hurry. She doesn't like to be kept waiting." And he bowed again before hurrying out.

Newt and Hermann exchanged a long look, Newt fidgeting nervously and Hermann frowning in apprehension. It seemed Mikhail was going to ensure the two of them made good on their side of the bargain. They could only hope that it wouldn't cause them to play traitor against the Shatterdome… or humanity itself.


	17. Reluctant Drift

_It should have been a joyous occasion for Gipsy Danger and her Rangers – a reunion with Raleigh, and the forging of a new bond between Mako and the Mark III. But it had ended with all three of them disgraced, the failed drift standing out like a visible badge of dishonor on each of them. The two Rangers were now pariahs among the Shatterdome personnel, and more than one technician and mechanic now looked at Gipsy as if wondering why so much time and money had been expended on her. Even the other Rangers seemed disappointed in the three of them, and though only Chuck went so far as to insult them to their faces, no one seemed eager to be seen in their company._

_Chuck stalked into the Jaeger bay, nursing bruises and scrapes but his expression hovering somewhere between disgust and a smug triumph. Cherno felt a growl bubbling up in his reactor at the sight of the rookie Ranger. He never wanted to cause harm to a human, but somehow the younger Hansen riled his circuits in a way no other human could. He wondered if he could talk Papa into confronting Chuck at some point, and wiping that nasty expression off his face for him…_

_Crimson "nudged" Cherno, bringing him back to the task at hand, and the Russian Jaeger returned his attention to Gipsy. Outwardly, nothing had changed – she still stood stoically in her hangar, unmoving and silent – but all the Jaegers could feel her pain. She radiated shame at her failure… and fear at what she had witnessed in the drift._

_Striker's engine coughed in disgust, earning flashes of irritation from Crimson and Cherno. The Mark V couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Drifts failed all the time, and even his pilots had chased the RABIT several times before they had settled comfortably into their own neural handshake. What was so tragic about this botched handshake that had the other two Jaegers so worked up?_

_Cherno growled again and aimed a mental "kick" at Striker. The Australian Jaeger had no idea what Gipsy was going through, and had no right to judge. She was their friend, and if Striker couldn't be nice to her during this difficult time, he could just shut up and keep himself out of this._

_Striker huffed his engines again and went silent. He still radiated unpleasant feelings, but at least he wasn't going to hassle Gipsy further, and that was all Cherno cared about at the moment._

_Gipsy let out a low, sad moan and "leaned" against Cherno and Crimson's presences for comfort. It had all been going so well… she and Raleigh had fallen into place so easily that it was as if he'd never left, as if they hadn't spent five years separated from one another. And Mako had fit herself into the drift just as effortlessly, as if she had always been part of it. She was no substitute for Yancy – and nothing could fill that void in her core – but Gipsy had liked and respected her, and welcomed her into the drift._

_Crimson thrummed softly. Gipsy had done the best she could. She had merged well with her Rangers and responded to their commands. No one could have asked more from her… and it wasn't her fault that Mako had gotten locked in a bad memory. It had happened with the Weis on occasion early on, proving that even the best Rangers weren't immune._

_Cherno backed that up with an eager hum of his own. Aleksis had chased the RABIT on his first drift, and he had still managed to be one of the best Rangers in the program. This was just a setback, right? Surely Gipsy would get another chance._

_Gipsy moaned again and withdrew into herself. Cherno whined curiously, sensing that she was trying to hide something. It hadn't been her fault… right? Surely no Jaeger would sabotage a neural handshake, unless they disapproved of the Rangers… and Gipsy hadn't rejected Mako as a pilot, right?_

_Another soft moan. No, Gipsy had accepted and even welcomed Mako into the drift. The two had clicked in a way she hadn't known before the Becketts. Perhaps… perhaps they had clicked too well. Because Gipsy had seen her memories, and had become ensnarled in them. And despite everything she knew, all her programming, she had been unable to escape._

_Striker coughed again, this time in surprise. A Jaeger chasing the RABIT? He'd never heard of such a thing. Crimson and Cherno sputtered in equal surprise. There were plenty of stories of Rangers getting locked in rogue memories, but for a Jaeger to be trapped in a memory was unthinkable._

_It was true, Gipsy replied, her tone miserable as she explained. She had just wanted a look at Mako's memories, to see what drove her new Ranger to fight so passionately. She hadn't expected to get a firsthand look at a Kaiju attack… not an attack from a Jaeger's or Ranger's point of view, but through the eyes of a helpless civilian. The sheer horror and fear, the sense of being so tiny and helpless, of trying to outrun and hide from something so big that it almost hurt the senses to try to take it all in at once… it had paralyzed her. Mako's fear had become hers, and she and Mako had reacted as one, trying to obliterate the beast in her memory…_

_And nearly wiping out the LOCCENT in the process, and shaming her Rangers._

_The other Jaegers went silent at the revelation. Gipsy's presence curled into itself, shivering with pain and guilt. It had been her fault the drift had been spoiled, and Raleigh and Mako took the blame for her failure. They'd never be allowed back in her Conn Pod, and she'd never see battle again… and after this, she wouldn't blame Pentecost if he decommissioned her and sent her right back to Oblivion Bay. She deserved it._

_A sharp growl cut into her despairing train of thought, answered by a warning rumble from Crimson. Striker ignored the red Jaeger and pushed on. No, Gipsy did NOT deserve to be hauled off like so much scrap. No Jaeger did, especially not one who'd done NOTHING wrong. It wasn't her fault her Ranger had gone through trauma, and if she'd become so enmeshed in Mako's memory that the two of them had thought as one for a few moments… well, that was just proof that they were the perfect team, right?_

_Cherno just listened in quiet shock. After being so snarky and dismissive toward Gipsy ever since his arrival, the Mark V was taking her side? He'd thought that as likely as a Kaiju sprouting wings and learning to fly… and yet it was happening. Why this change?_

_Striker picked up on Cherno's thoughts, and he growled again in irritation. Just because he was superior to the other Jaegers here didn't mean he was without empathy. And Gipsy had earned his respect – he could spare a little sympathy for her. Besides, they were the last of their kind, and even if they didn't like each other, the last of the Jaegers needed to stick together, right?_

_Gipsy pondered on Striker's words. Then, slowly, she reached out to the others, a quiet soprano thrum vibrating through her engines. Crimson and Cherno chimed in, falling into harmony with her, and Striker surprised them all again by adding his own baritone hum. It took him a minute to find harmony with the others, but he managed it._

_Outwardly, in the eyes of the Shatterdome workers, nothing had changed… but among the Jaegers, a bond had just been forged. From this moment on, they stood together, regardless of anything the Kaiju, the government, or any force on Earth threw their way._

* * *

Mako wished she could remove the hazmat suit and wipe her eyes. The protective gear was hot and suffocating, and sweat poured down her face, matting her hair to her cheeks and half-blinding her with its sting. And the thick gloves made her clumsy, turning even the simplest tasks into an ordeal. She knew it was a necessary precaution – who knew what kind of alien micro-organisms infested the material binding Gipsy together – but it didn't mean she had to like it.

Gipsy's presence in her mind stirred, forming words. _Crimson's going to open the plates on my chest, over my core. Stand back._

Mako nodded and stepped away from the finger she had been piecing back together. Crimson rumbled something that might have been a "thank you" before bending down and grasping the warped chest plate. Pistons tensed in his joints, and the metal howled in protest as he yanked at the plate.

"Gipsy!"

 _It's okay,_ Gipsy assured her. _It doesn't hurt. It's just stuck – I hope it's not rusted._

Crimson gave another brutal yank, then staggered back as the plate detached without warning. Personnel scattered in panic as he flailed to regain his balance, then gave a collective sigh of relief as he found his footing. With a shake of his Conn Pod he turned to set the plate aside, in a growing stack of metal they deemed in good enough shape to use to piece the fallen Mark II back together.

Mako gave a sigh of her own as she returned her attention to the broken hand before her. How they were going to get Gipsy back together she had no idea. So little of her had survived the explosion… though given the circumstances, it was a wonder any of her had survived. The blast that closed the Breach should have obliterated her. And yet somehow, here she was, broken yet with soul intact. Though whether they could put her back together again was anyone's guess.

"How do you feel?" she asked as she scraped accumulated grime from a knuckle joint. "Does it hurt anywhere?"

 _It's more of a dull ache than anything else,_ Gipsy replied. _Maybe I'm just used to it._ Her engines made a wet coughing sound as she tried to clear them of some obstruction. _What's Raleigh installing in my Conn Pod?_

"Recording equipment. It will allow you to see and hear on your own."

 _Like Cherno and Crimson have? I'd like that._ She went silent again, but Mako continued to feel pain and fear brewing through the drift. Despite insisting she wasn't hurting, the pain of her injuries still plagued her… as did the memory of what the Precursors had inflicted on her.

Mako couldn't begin to imagine what kind of pain came from surviving a nuclear explosion in one's own core, but she understood being haunted by memories. After Pentecost had rescued her from the ruins of Tokyo, she had been so psychologically crippled by the deaths of her parents and the horror of Onibaba's attack that she couldn't even speak – not _wouldn't,_ but _couldn't._ It had been months before she could vocalize more than a whimper, and months more before she was speaking in full sentences again.

Even now, years later, she still suffered the occasional nightmare. And there had been that horrific first drift, where for a terrifying moment that had seemed like hours she had been forced to relive that day, hunted by Onibaba and stricken with fear…

_I'm sorry._

Mako glanced up from her work, briefly startled. "Sorry for what?"

_Mako… that drift. It wasn't your fault. I… I was looking through your memories, and when I got to that one, I got locked in it. It's my fault you chased the RABIT that first time. I never got to say sorry, but… I'm sorry now._

Understanding filled her, and despite everything she smiled. "You are forgiven, Gipsy."

_But… but I brought shame on you. Everyone was angry with you because of me! You're not even upset about that?_

"How could I be? You are my Jaeger, and I am your Ranger. We do not have grudges. It was an unfortunate mistake, and nothing more." She finished cleaning the joint and set about reattaching wires. "Before now, we didn't even know Jaegers were capable of chasing the RABIT. It was always thought to be the fault of the Rangers if it happened."

 _Well, we've got minds like you. If it can happen to you, it can happen to us, right?_ Gipsy sounded just a bit smug at that.

"That is true."

A sudden wail from Crimson cut off their conversation, and she looked up to see the red Jaeger recoil, hands raised, looking for all the world like an uppity woman who had just seen a mouse. Cheung, looking on from a platform nearby, shouted something Mako didn't catch, and Crimson gave a whole-body shudder and pointed to Gipsy's open chest in reply.

"What is it?" asked Raleigh, climbing up onto Gipsy's broken torso. "What'd you find?" He peered into the open chest… and recoiled with a shout of his own. "Jesus Christ!"

"Raleigh!" Mako dropped her work and hurried to climb the scaffolding set up on Gipsy's side.

 _Oh no… what's in there?_ A tremor passed through Gipsy's frame, nearly knocking Mako off the scaffolding. _I knew something was stuck in there, but I couldn't get it out… is it bad? Can you get it out? Please say you can get it out…_

"Calm down, Gipsy, we'll get it out," Raleigh assured her, though Mako noted that he looked rather green in the face as he said that. She rushed to his side and chanced a look of her own.

She wanted to be sick. Tangled in Gipsy's inner machinery was a body – but not a human body. It was difficult to make out the original shape of the corpse, given that Gipsy's engine had mangled it badly, but Mako could clearly make out six limbs and a strange crest-like head. Four eyes, blank with death, stared up at her, as if accusing her of murdering it.

"Mako, Raleigh, what's going on up there?" demanded Tendo.

"It's a body!" Raleigh shouted back. "It looks like a Precursor!"

"Bloody hell," Herc grumbled. "Get it outta there!"

Gipsy began to shake, and it was all Mako could do to not lose her balance and pitch forward to join the dead Precursor in her torso. A high keen filled the Jaeger bay, and Gipsy's presence in her mind went vibrant with terror.

 _Get it out!_ she shrieked. _Get it out, get it out of me, get it out! I don't want them in me, their little hands pawing at me, their tools, their bio-tech…_

"Gipsy, girl, calm down," Raleigh pleaded, falling to his knees. "It's dead. It can't hurt you. It's just a body."

Mako knelt as well, placing her hands against Gipsy's armor. "You have to hold still. I know you're frightened, but you have to hold still. We'll help you, but you need to do as we say. Please… we're here. Nothing is going to hurt you."

She and Raleigh kept up their litany, trying to soothe the Jaeger. Gipsy continued to keen, but slowly her terror faded, and she stilled beneath them. Tremors still shook her at odd intervals, but they were slight compared to her earlier quaking.

Crimson rumbled a warning, and a massive hand lowered into Gipsy's interior. With a delicacy that seemed impossible for a metallic giant, the Mark IV pulled the Precursor corpse out. He gave a squeal of disgust and promptly dropped the body on the floor, leaving the cleanup crews to sort the mess out.

"Get that thing to the labs!" Herc ordered. "Get it in a preservative tank if you can! Christ almighty, if Newt were here he'd be goin' bonkers by now…"

"There you go," Raleigh murmured, rubbing Gipsy's plating. "It's out now… it can't hurt you."

 _Don't leave me,_ she pleaded. _Don't go…_

"We're not gonna leave you," Raleigh promised. "We're going to finish fixing you. Here… I'm going to go back into your Conn Pod to finish hooking up your new optical sensors. I'll still be right here with you, though." His voice was soothing and gentle, and for a moment Mako had the sudden out-of-nowhere observation that Raleigh would make a good father someday – he had the right temperament for calming a frightened child.

She shook the thought out of her head and climbed back down to return to her own duties. A crisis had been averted for now, but Gipsy was still traumatized from what had happened to her in the Anteverse. And though she and Raleigh would never hesitate to go to her side and calm her down, logically she knew that they would waste precious time in pausing her repairs every time she had a panic attack. Especially since Gipsy wouldn't permit anyone but her Rangers and the other Jaegers to repair her.

As she went back to working on what remained of the Jaeger's hand, her thoughts returned to her recovery from the attack on Tokyo. Pentecost had been remarkably patient with her, encouraging her but never trying to force her into situations she didn't want to face, providing her with a much-needed anchor during the stormiest period of her life. She couldn't recall if he had said or done anything specific that had eased her pain, but she did remember the strength of his presence, the feeling that with him watching over her, nothing could hurt her again.

 _I wish he were here,_ she thought with a stab of pain. _To see Cherno and Gipsy and the others alive and moving on their own. He would have known how best to help them._

But Pentecost was gone… and they would have to make do on their own. And now that the story had come full circle, she would step into Pentecost's place, and be the anchor Gipsy so sorely needed.

A burst of obnoxiously cheery music broke her train of thought, and she turned to see Lance fumbling with his phone. Predictable – Mustang's Rangers wouldn't deign to help, but they'd stand around and gawk, Lance fanboying over Gipsy and Lexie dropping sarcastic comments and going on about how inferior Gipsy was to Mustang. Could Tendo find the two of them something constructive to do? Surely they could at least do a practice run in the simulator or something…

Lexie snorted in laughter, her disdainful expression aimed at her brother/co-pilot instead of Gipsy. "Really, Lance? I mean, really?"

"What?" he protested, silencing his phone. "Like YOU don't have a stupid ringtone!"

" _My Little Pony,_ Lance? Really?"

"Will you stop saying that? Besides, that show was a classic. Why do you think it got such a cult following during the K-War? People wanted something cute and lighthearted to distract them from the real world! Besides, it's more intelligent than what you like to watch!"

"Never took you for the type to watch little-girl cartoons."

"Hey, shut up, I'm still a badass."

"A badass who likes pink ponies."

"Shut up!"

"Break it up, you two!" Herc snapped. "Either shut up an' be useful or take it outside!"

Lexie rolled her eyes, and the two Rangers walked out, still bickering.

Raleigh blew out an irritated sigh and went back to work. Mako thought about being annoyed by the two of them as well… but what Lance had said had her thinking.

_He is right… during the war, children's shows and more light-hearted movies were popular. The world didn't want dark and gritty in their entertainment anymore – they could get that by watching the news. They wanted something to remind them of better times, or to simply distract them from the terror of the real world._

Even she hadn't been immune to that – after losing her parents she had spent much of her time either curled up in bed and trying to isolate herself from the world, or watching television to try to distract herself. She had found some measure of solace in children's anime, particularly _Sailor Moon_ and _Pokemon_ and other older shows. Perhaps it hadn't directly helped her recover, but it had distracted her… and given her hope that perhaps, just perhaps, not every story ended in tragedy, and it was still possible for heroes to defeat the monster and save the day.

She turned to Gipsy's Conn Pod, where Raleigh was diligently following a technician's orders to plug the optical sensors into her controls. Perhaps what Gipsy needed was a distraction. If nothing else, it would take her mind off of what she had endured, and let her comrades finish her repairs without interruption. And if anyone else in the Shatterdome thought it was silly… she didn't care, so long as it comforted Gipsy.

She turned to Tendo. "Can we get a projection screen in here?"

Tendo raised an eyebrow. "I can see what I can dig up. Why?"

"I have an idea."

* * *

_I never imagined my job would come to this._

Hermann stared at the doors leading to the Kaiju Cult temple's Inner Sanctum, dread building in his gut. Carved from a rich brown wood, they bore bizarre designs that looked like thorny vines or barbed tentacles, writhing and twisting without any particular pattern or order. No sound came from behind the doors, though whether the room beyond was truly quiet or the doors were just soundproofed he had no idea. Still, he almost imagined he could hear some kind of ritual drum throbbing within the Sanctum… or was that just the pounding of his heart?

Dr. Gottlieb was not a man given to panicking, but at that moment a headlong flight out of the temple sounded very tempting. He might not make it very far – curse his bad leg – but it was worth a shot.

He glanced sideways at Newt, expecting to see him vibrating with excitement or grinning stupidly like the fanboy he was. The biologist shocked him by doing neither. His expression was of quiet dread, his skin oddly pale beneath his scruffy attempts at a beard. Dr. Geizler seemed to recognize just how serious the situation was, and if he was at all eager to see what the cult hid in its Inner Sanctum, he was remarkably good at hiding it.

Hermann drew in a deep breath. "Well… we'd better go in. No sense keeping the High Priestess waiting."

"Let's not and say we did," Newt suggested. "This place gives me the creeps."

"Not so much a fanboy anymore?"

"Fanboy, maybe. But this isn't fanboying. It's not even obsession. It's… insane. Not the good kind either."

Hermann nodded slightly. So Newt had some sense beneath the fanaticism after all. "We still have to go in. We have a job to do, remember?"

Newt nodded. "Tendo owes us big-time for this." And he visibly steeled himself before pushing the doors open.

The smell struck him first – and shockingly reminded him of their home in the Shatterdome. The reek of old meat and preservative chemicals filled the air, underlaid with a strange electric tang. Hermann paused on the threshold, too stunned to continue on. So the cult had fresh Kaiju parts on hand… not just tooth and bone and scale samples, but brain matter and other organs. The work of Hannibal, or something more sinister?

"Holy…" Newt stepped into the Sanctum, eyes wide. "How did they… what…"

Hermann hobbled forward to keep up with the biologist, looking around. The room was illuminated with a soft blue light that radiated from several clear tanks containing Kaiju flesh and organ samples, some mangled but others so pristine he knew Newt would have sold his soul for one of them. Said tanks weren't just the utilitarian specimen tanks he was used to, but decorated with seals and trim sculpted to resemble grasping claws or open jaws, with delicate symbols etched into the glass of the tanks themselves. The floor was a mosaic of painted tile and polished stone, depicting a vast open maw with a bright blue, flower-like tongue. Priests and acolytes in scarlet robes moved to take up positions throughout the room, some standing by the tanks as if to serve as guards, others forming a ring around the gaping maw on the floor.

He took all this in before letting his gaze settle on what lay at the head of the room – a tank large enough to hold an orca, its bluish glow casting weird highlights on the upturned faces of the scientists and cultists. Bobbing within said tank was a mass of twisted gray tissue, tendrils twisting and writhing about it and pawing at the tank walls like the tentacles of an octopus. A crown of wires jutted from the top of the mass, looking entirely alien next to the organic mass.

"That-that-that's a Kaiju brain!" Newt shrilled at last. "It's a secondary brain from a Kaiju! Gotta be at least a Category III! And it's completely intact! How did you get this? Where?"

A soft chuckle was his answer, and High Priestess Mikhail stepped out of the shadows on the right side of the brain tank. The Priestess wore fine satiny robes of silver-green embroidered with bright blue, but her usual twin-pronged headdress was gone, replaced with a green leather crest that added a good foot-and-a-half to her height and gave her a shark-like appearance. A jade pendant carved in the shape of a scale and engraven with a symbol Hermann didn't recognize hung about her neck, and her eyes and cheeks were marked with blue makeup that reminded him of a Kaiju's bioluminescent markings.

"You think Hannibal only sold to Pentecost?" she asked, cocking her head curiously. "No… they were good customers, but he provided us with relics of the Messengers as well. Perhaps ones in better condition than you're accustomed to?"

"Only because you paid him more," Hermann said, not bothering to hide the nasty tone in his voice.

She shrugged. "No price is too high to honor the Deep Ones or their Messengers."

"Wait, I thought you guys hated Hannibal Chau," Newt pointed out. "You know, the Defiler?"

She shrugged again. "He is useful to us, just as he is useful to the PPDC… for now. There will come a day when we take our revenge on him for defiling the bodies of the Messengers, but that day is not today."

"Why have you brought us here?" demanded Hermann. "I thought we made it clear that we are not joining your cult."

"You did," she replied, her gentle smile never leaving her face, "but we did make it clear to you that in return for sanctuary among our numbers, we would ask you to commune with the Messengers, and pass what you have seen and heard along to us." She gestured to the floating brain just behind her. "We have made good on our end of the bargain... it is time for you to fulfill your end."

Only now did Hermann see what stood before the disembodied brain – a low ebony table bearing two Styrofoam head mannequins. Mounted on each mannequin was a battered but presumably functional Pons headset.

"You're joking, right?" Hermann demanded, forcing as much belligerence into his voice as he could to mask his sudden fear. "Tell us you're joking, for the love of God."

"Why would we joke?" she asked, as if she were genuinely wondering why he would come to that conclusion. "Your drift with the young Messenger's mind was a bold move… one that even we had not thought to attempt. You are a pioneer, Newton Geizler, an inspiration to those of us who await further messages from the Deep Ones. And we have sought to duplicate the process by which you listened to the whispers from the Deep." She reached over and lifted one of the Pons headsets from its mannequin. "Today, you will listen to the Messenger you once called Mutavore, and you will share with us whatever he imparts to you. Then your bargain will be fulfilled."

"How did you get those?" Hermann asked, not bothering to hide his accusatory tone. "Stole them, no doubt."

"The Shatterdome will not miss them," she said dismissively.

"You guys really do have a spy in there!" Newt exclaimed. "Who is it? Is it the Rossis? Tell me it's the Rossis, I knew those two were no good! Hey, keep that thing away from me!" He backpedaled, nearly colliding with an acolyte, as Mikhail approached him with the headset.

"You cannot refuse us this," she said mildly. "We have given you food and shelter, and taken you in when no other would have you. This is the least you can do for us."

"And if we refuse?" asked Hermann, scowling.

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe you want to find out."

Hermann glared at her, but quietly he acknowledged that they had no choice in the matter, threat or no threat. If the Precursors were truly trying to reignite the Kaiju War, they would need all the intelligence they could get. And if the only way to spy on the enemy was to engage in a neural handshake with a Kaiju brain… well, war meant doing unpleasant things, and making personal sacrifices for the greater good.

"Take it, Newt," he ordered. "Let's get this over with."

Newt groaned but took the headset from Mikhail. "You'd think this gets easier every time… it really doesn't. It sucks just as much the second time as the first."

Mikhail just smiled and picked up the second headset, handing it reverently to Hermann as if it were a crown. "Once you are comfortable and ready, we will initiate the drift. Just signal us when the Messengers have imparted their wisdom and you are ready to disengage."

Hermann grimaced and settled the Pons headset on his head, making sure it was correctly arranged. Newt adjusted his headset and lowered his hands, clenching his fingers into fists and gritting his teeth as he prepped himself for what was to come.

"On three," Hermann ordered, trying his hardest to control the tremor in his voice. "Three… two… one!"

Mikhail touched a button on the ebony table… and the world vanished in a flood of blue-white light.

_Feelings, images, sounds, a maelstrom of memories tossed about in a whirlwind of emotion… Newt plucking at the strings of a guitar, trying to tune the aged instrument to his satisfaction… Hermann curled up in a cubby under the stairs of his school, his only sanctuary from the other students who liked to torment him for sport… Newt being tossed around the public anti-Kaiju refuge by a terrified crowd, bruised and battered… Hermann looking on as a Mark I Jaeger moved for the first time, his programming coursing through its CPU to ensure all systems performed optimally…_

_Animalistic shrieks and roars… an obscene chittering language that sounded as if a swarm of locusts was trying to mimic human speech… tall, multi-limbed beings looking on as two massive Kaiju writhed in battle… the winner being released to swim to the surface, the loser being driven into an acidic pit to be reduced to basic components and recycled…_

_The ocean floor… the massive calcified domes of the Precursor's ships, now serving as the buildings for an underwater base… workers scurrying to erect a workstation big enough to hold a small skyscraper… a massive form, a Kaiju, hunched nearby as if waiting in reserve… three regal-looking Precursors with elegant crests gathered around a tablet and discussing its contents in clicking, guttural voices…_

_A mental blast that nearly knocked Hermann and Newt unconscious, skull-rending agony… screams that might have come from one or the other's memory, or might have been their own voices… two sets of eyes, black and cold as shark's eyes, looking upon the two of them with the dispassionate gaze of a sociopath, regarding them as if they were insects to be crushed on a whim…_

_The single thought blazing across the rift wasn't formed in words, or at least words as they could understand them. But the intent and meaning were perfectly clear:_

_WE SEE YOU._

The blue light winked out, and Hermann wobbled on his feet, kept upright only by the hands of two acolytes. Pain raged through his skull, his stomach heaved and roiled, and something warm and wet trickled out of his nose and down his face. It took his eyes a full minute to focus, and the image of Mikhail swam before him.

"Dr. Gottlieb! Dr. Geizler! Can you hear me? Answer me!" Was it his imagination, or did she sound genuinely terrified? "Are you with us?"

"I-I'm fine," he stammered, yanking the Pons headset off. "G-get… get me a b-b-bucket…"

No one asked questions, and a basin was thrust into his field of vision. He grabbed it and promptly emptied his stomach inside it. It took him several minutes of heaving and retching before he finally regained control, and the basin was whisked away without comment.

"Whoa," Newt groaned, and Hermann refocused his vision to see the biologist sitting on the table, pinching his nose shut to stem the bleeding. "Just… ouch."

"Take all the time you need to recover," Mikhail advised, though her eyes shone eagerly. "Then tell us what you saw. We await the blessings and the warnings of the Deep Ones."

Hermann's brain felt scrambled with pain and the aftereffects of the drift. What could he pass along? Surely not everything… if the cult learned that their precious "Deep Ones" were establishing a city on the ocean floor, there would be no telling their reaction. But his tired, aching mind couldn't come up with a workable fabrication.

"The Deep Ones… spoke to us," he said at last.

"Oh?" Her smile widened, and she reached up to clutch excitedly at her pendant. "Tell us! What wisdom do they pass on to their devoted followers?"

"They… they…" Why wouldn't the words come.

"They chastised us," Newt cut in, getting shakily to his feet. "Told us off for sticking our noses where they don't belong."

Mikhail visibly deflated at that. "But you are their prophets. Why would they chastise you?"

"Because we tried to look where it is forbidden," Hermann replied, deciding to roll with Newt's story for now. "They have a plan for this world, but the time to share the plan has not yet arrived. They scolded us, told us to have patience, and all will be revealed at the correct time. Until then, we should not pry."

Mikhail mulled over that a moment, then nodded slowly. "To know there is an ultimate plan is enough." She frowned. "But what sign will they give us to let us know the time is right?"

Well, blast. He had hoped to deter them from repeating this stunt. Evidently they weren't so easily dissuaded from their insanity. "They did not say, ma'am."

She shrugged. "No matter. We will try again in a week's time. Perhaps then, the Deep Ones will be more forthcoming." She raised her hand in a gesture – of blessing or farewell? "Thank you, Dr. Gottlieb, and thank you, Dr. Geizler. And do not be discouraged. The Deep Ones cannot remain silent forever, and when they are ready to speak to us again… we will listen."

Hermann only nodded in reply, and he made his way out of the chamber. Newt followed close behind, and the two remained silent until they were a safe distance from the Inner Sanctum.

"Dude, that was freaky," Newt mumbled, voice blurred by his bloody nose. "And that Kaiju we saw… it looked kinda like Leatherback. We gotta warn the Shatterdome that they've got another one ready to send out."

"Indeed," Hermann replied, "and we must also alert them that the cultists' spy is still among us… and that the cultists are trying to make contact with the Precursors. Gods, and here I thought YOU were the only one insane enough to drift with a Kaiju!"

"Hey, I'm surprised no one thought to do it sooner," Newt replied. "Though if we tell them no, we're not gonna drift again, what's to stop them from just using someone else?"

"We've drifted before," Hermann reminded him. "It's far easier, and far less risky, to use individuals who have engaged in a neural handshake previously than to start cold, as it were." He opened the door to their quarters. "Get your phone. We have a call to make… and we hope to everything good that Tendo has a plan to deal with the cultists before something terrible happens."


	18. Haunted Oblivion

_A double event._

_Even in a war as fantastic and strange as the Kaiju War had been, a double event was something its veterans had never seen before. Sure, Doctor Gottlieb had been predicting one for months now, but many had dismissed his claims… or had just secretly hoped he was wrong. Two Kaiju rising from the breach was a terrible fulfillment to mathematical prophecy, and the Hong Kong Shatterdome could only hope that they could successfully repel the attack._

_The tug of the helicopter lines on Cherno's chassis registered as a peculiar tension in Aleksis' shoulders, as if hooks were embedded in the muscles there and were trying to pull him into the air. It wasn't painful, just strange, and he had to resist the urge to try to shrug the feeling off. The last thing the Jumphawk pilots needed was for their two-thousand-ton "passenger" to suddenly start squirming._

_Cherno's engines squawked in surprise as his feet cleared the hangar floor, and Aleksis couldn't suppress a slight smile. No matter how many times they were flown to the sight of a battle, going airborne seemed to startle the Mark I every time. Perhaps he was simply amazed that a being as massive as he was could take flight at all. Or perhaps, in the ultimate act of irony, he had developed a fear of heights._

_At that, Cherno gave a disgusted snort. Fear of heights, his exhaust vent – he wasn't afraid of anything. A Jaeger who could single-handedly take down a Category III Kaiju had no business being afraid of a little flight._

_Over the thumping whirr of helicopter blades and the boom and grind of machinery sounded an eager thrum of engines. Without even looking, Aleksis identified it as Striker Eureka, impatient and spoiling for a fight already. Another deep hum joined Striker's as Crimson Typhoon sounded off, as if making it known that he, too, was ready for battle._

_Sasha smirked. "They want revenge. All of them. They want to take victory back from the Kaiju."_

_Cherno rumbled all around them in agreement._

" _Don't get too bold," Aleksis urged. "We have a mission. You must be in one piece for it."_

_Cherno rumbled again, acknowledging his Ranger's command. He wouldn't fail. He couldn't, not with so much riding on all their shoulders… and not with their numbers down by one._

_Far below, Gipsy stood quietly in her hangar, seeming to look on silently as her comrades were airlifted out of the Shatterdome and toward the harbor for battle. Aleksis found himself wondering what the Mark III was thinking, if anything. Did she resent being kept behind while the others moved out to face the Kaiju, or was she secretly relieved? Or, perhaps, was she still too upset over the recent fiasco with her Rangers to be concerned with the upcoming battle? He knew nothing of Gipsy's personality, and couldn't begin to guess._

_Neither Sasha nor Aleksis had been able to hide their disappointment when Gipsy's drift had ended in failure… or their surprise at the reason behind said failure. The two would-be Rangers had turned into recluses since the failed drift, with Raleigh's memorable encounter with Chuck being their only interactions with other Shatterdome personnel since. Not that Aleksis could blame them – with everyone from the techs to Pentecost himself blaming the Rangers for that near-disastrous drift, they were probably wise to keep their heads down at the moment._

_Knowing the truth behind it improved Aleksis' view of both Rangers – and in his mind, proved that the two of them were a good fit for Gipsy – but it didn't change the fact that they were now down a Jaeger at a time when they could ill-afford it. Pentecost didn't care who had chased the RABIT – he wasn't about to let an unstable team out onto the battlefield. And until the Mark III had a successful drift with a set of suitable Rangers, she was staying put._

_Cherno rumbled again, this time nervously. Despite his earlier insistence that he wasn't afraid, the prospect of facing two Kaiju at once was unnerving, even for him._

" _You'll do just fine," Aleksis assured him. "And you're not alone. We fight them as a team."_

_That seemed to settle the Jaeger, and he thrummed in reply. Then he returned his attention to the churning seas before them… and the blue-marked hulks surging through the water, charging toward the city with murder in their eyes. With any luck, this would be their final Kaiju fight before striking out for the Breach… and ending this war once and for all._

* * *

Cherno gave a high squeal of delight and clapped his hands, the sound of metal on metal ringing through the sea air like thunder. _Again! Have them do it again!_

Sasha laughed. "These are not tame animals, Cherno. They do what they please. We cannot order them around."

 _Awww._ He whined in disappointment, then squealed again as a dolphin burst from the water, rising a good meter into the air and tossing its head like a spirited horse before diving gracefully beneath the waves again. Other dolphins leaped and swam alongside the ship, trying to keep pace like dogs chasing a truck. The creatures weren't at all deterred by the sight of the Jaeger – if anything, they acted curious, and seemed to be jumping as high as possible to get a good look at the metallic titan.

 _Why don't we get them around the Shatterdome?_ Cherno asked, though his Conn Pod remained fixed in the dolphins' direction. _They're fun. I'd love to see more of them._

Sasha's smile faded a little. "There used to be dolphins in Hong Kong. White and even pink dolphins, famous all over the world. But the bomb they used to kill Reckoner and the Kaiju Blue left in its wake destroyed them."

… _oh._ Cherno's glee dimmed at that. _The world's lost a lot because of the Kaiju, hasn't it?_

"A great deal," she replied softly. "But no good can come from dwelling on what we have lost. We must focus on preserving what remains, and making the world better."

That seemed to mollify the Jaeger, and he continued to watch the dolphins, though more subdued than before.

Before his passing, Pentecost had evidently established connections with the Chinese military – it was the only way Sasha could see that Tendo could arrange for an aircraft carrier to transport Cherno Alpha and a select crew of Shatterdome personnel to Oblivion Bay. While Jumphawks were usually adequate for ferrying a Jaeger to the battlefield, there was no way they could haul Cherno across the Pacific Ocean. The ship, the _Ao Kuang,_ would be slower, but it would make the journey without difficulty.

Cherno's radio crackled as the carrier's commanding officer spoke up. "Ten miles out from Oblivion Bay," he reported, his English a bit stilted but serviceable. "We will be there soon."

"Thank you," she replied. "Let us know when you drop anchor. We can make our way from there."

"We will." He hesitated before going on. "Be careful. There are… stories… about this place."

"We know the stories," she replied. "But that is all they are – stories. We will be fine."

"Copy." He disconnected with a burst of static.

Sasha leaned back against the wall of the Conn Pod, the constant throb and thunder of machinery oddly soothing to her. It felt strange to be inside Cherno's cockpit without being strapped into the controls, riding in the Jaeger as a passenger instead of a pilot. But for now it was necessary to maintain the charade – Tendo wasn't ready to reveal to the world at large that the Jaegers were sentient, and a self-governed mecha boarding an aircraft carrier would have blown that cover in a hurry. For now, they had to maintain the illusion that they were controlling Cherno from within.

Aleksis sat against the wall closest to the emergency flare locker, talking animatedly in Russian on his phone. Sasha had been so preoccupied watching the dolphins with Cherno that she had missed most of the conversation, but now she listened curiously.

"…not sure a visit is a good idea right now. No, Ilya, we are not breeding Kaiju, no matter what the tabloids say! Why would we breed… a conspiracy? It's not enough that you believe all the old fairy tales, now you are into conspiracy theories?"

Sasha couldn't help a bit of a smirk. Aleksis was usually fairly quiet, preferring to let Sasha do most of the talking and speaking in short, spare sentences, as if he had only a finite amount of words and had to be careful how he used them. But his great-uncle was one of the few people who could get him to loosen his tongue, if only because the old man could be quite irritating at times. A good man and quite friendly, but irritating all the same.

"One Kaiju reappears and now the Jaeger program is apparently breeding Kaiju to justify its continued operation," Aleksis grumbled. "Does the media have nothing else to report on and must make up slander? I do not care if you read it from a reputable source… no, you still cannot visit even if we don't have a Kaiju hiding in the Shatterdome. There are reasons… no, I cannot tell you, it is classified."

_Who's Papa talking to?_

"A relative," Sasha replied. "His name is Ilya. He… he would be your great-great-uncle, I suppose." She chuckled softly. "He used to leave food in your Conn Pod. To appease the _domovoi –_ the house spirit – of the Shatterdome."

_Oh, I remember him! I liked him… I would like to see him!_

"I'm afraid you can't, Cherno. It is not a good idea to have visitors in the Shatterdome right now."

_Awwww._

Aleksis finally said his goodbyes and hung up with a sigh. "Ilya has become a conspiracy lunatic. I think he is losing his mind."

"He is just lonely," Sasha assured him. "Loneliness can make a man do crazy things." She squeezed his shoulder. "As soon as Tendo and Hercules allow it, we should invite him for a visit."

Cherno bobbed in eager agreement.

"We will see," Aleksis replied.

The radio crackled to life again. "Dropping anchor! We're here! Good luck to you, Rangers."

Sasha nodded and helped Aleksis to his feet. The ship was coming to a stop, and from here on out Cherno would continue on foot, carrying his Rangers and the other Shatterdome crew members that had been sent to harvest Jaeger parts. With any luck, they would return with the components they needed to restore Gipsy.

Once the carrier had finally slid to a halt, Cherno eased himself to his feet, his movements slow and careful. The carrier was massive enough that Sasha doubted even a Jaeger could capsize it, but all the same, she appreciated Cherno's caution. He wasn't willfully destructive, and once the inevitable news that the Jaegers were sentient moved beyond the Shatterdome, she hoped the general populace would understand that.

Cherno steadied himself, arms spread to maintain his balance, then crouched down and lowered his cupped hands. A half-dozen mechanics and technicians were gathered on the deck, and they began climbing into the Jaeger's hands, settling themselves on his palms as best they could. Quiet threads of conversation drifted upward, picked up by Cherno's audial receptors and transmitted to speakers within the Conn Pod for his Rangers to hear.

"Knew workin' for the Shatterdome was gonna be weird," a mechanic – Janson, Sasha recognized – grumbled, sitting down at the base of Cherno's thumb. "Just never figured it'd entail hitchin' a ride with a Jaeger."

Sasha only smiled. This war had resulted in many unexpected discoveries and events – and while many had been terrible, some were for the better in her opinion.

Once his passengers were secure, Cherno cupped his hands close to his chest. Then he crouched, tensed, and leaped over the side of the _Ao Kuang._ There was a heartstopping moment of weightlessness, then a shuddering THUD as his feet impacted against the sea floor, the ocean water surging around his waist. Then he began to make his way to shore, every step taken with exaggerated care to avoid rocking his passengers around.

"For being so big, he's surprisingly gentle," another mechanic noted, looking up at the amber-glassed Conn Pod that loomed over them.

"Don't get too comfortable 'round 'im, Hideaki," Janson grumbled. "He's still way too big."

"And this is Cherno's fault how?" Hideaki demanded.

"Didn't say it was his fault," Janson retorted. "Just sayin' the Jaegers are way too big. Shouldn't have been experimenting with them, playin' Frankenstein."

"What's Frankenstein?"

"Never mind. My point's that they brought these things to life without thinkin' about what we're gonna do with them afterwards. What happens when we've closed the new Breach, eh? Whadda we do with the Jaegers then? Can't just shut 'em off and decommission 'em."

"Presumably we find a place for them to live…"

"How's THAT going to work out? No place is big enough for 'em! They'd wreck any city we put 'em in!"

"You make them sound like Kaiju." Hideaki sounded disgusted. "They have always protected us. They wouldn't hurt us now."

"Maybe not on purpose. But you got your arm busted by Striker, remember? And that was BEFORE the Jaegers started comin' to life right an' left. They might not mean to step on us or wreck our cities, but that doesn't mean it won't happen regardless."

Hideaki paused at that. "There are places in this world where people don't live. Perhaps we can find one of those to serve as a home for the Jaegers. It is only fair."

"Yeah, well, I like leavin' 'em to their own devices even less. Who's to say they won't decide that we owe 'em for savin' the world, and they decide to take over? Not like we could stop 'em."

"This is a fine way to talk about the one who is carrying you even now…"

The bickering faded as Cherno turned off his audial receptors. _Mama, Papa… do people really hate us? Even after all we did?_

Sasha wanted to assure him no, that wasn't the case, the Jaegers were beloved by the world, but she didn't have the heart to lie to him. "Many love the Jaegers, little one. But… some resent your kind. They think you were a waste of resources, that building a wall to hide behind would have been a better choice. And some are simply afraid of what they do not understand."

Cherno seemed to accept that answer. _Is that why I can't go outside the Shatterdome unless Tendo says it's okay? I've wanted to explore, but he says no every time, that the world isn't ready for me._

"He's right," Sasha replied. "No one outside the Shatterdome knows the truth about your kind. He fears if the truth came out now, it could cause problems." She didn't add that if the PPDC found out the Jaegers were living beings, they would order their immediate destruction. Cherno had been terrified of being considered obsolete and decommissioned, and she had no desire to add to that fear, especially when they were so close to Oblivion Bay.

Cherno raised one foot to step over a dead reef. _Mama… where will the Jaegers go when the war is over? Will there be a home for us?_

She didn't know what to say to that. Janson, as cantankerous as he was, had raised a good point. The Shatterdome couldn't hold the three Jaegers forever, but where else could they go? Was there a place in this world for three metal giants to call home? Or were they doomed by their size to never find a home of their own?

"We will find a place," Aleksis vowed. "Even if we must go far from civilization to find it. But for now, do not worry. Until that time, the Shatterdome is home."

Cherno didn't seem satisfied with that answer, but he didn't question it for now. Instead he pressed on, making for land… and the tangle of twisted metal that lay barely half a mile inland.

Sasha felt her gut clench at the sight. Just past a strip of rocky shore lay a fence topped with razor wire… and beyond that lay a wasteland, hazy with dust and smog and barely illuminated by pole-mounted floodlights. Most of the lights had been broken by vandals, or had simply burnt out and never replaced, giving Oblivion Bay the eerie feel of a horror movie. Metallic scraps, severed cables, and other small pieces littered the hard-packed dirt, while towering piles of limbs and larger components stood in neat stacks, almost like cairns. Several of the piles were topped with a cracked and empty Conn Pod, like the helmet of a warrior left atop his tomb in honor of the fallen.

Something traced a path down her cheek, and she realized she was silently weeping. Others might only see a junkyard, heaps of rusted metal going to waste, but she saw a mass grave.

Cherno gave a trembling moan at the sight. _Dead… so many…_ He knelt just before the razor-wire fence, a tremor passing through his frame. _Eden… Nova… Warlock… Hydra… Ronin… Coyote… all destroyed…_

"I know," Sasha murmured, her own voice rough with emotion. She didn't dare speak the terrible thought that had just crossed her mind – how many Jaegers had been dumped here with sentience still burning in their cores? How many had been left here to die, crying for their Rangers, until they finally simply faded away for good?

And worse… were there still living Jaegers here, mourning their Rangers, longing for a rescue that would never come?

Aleksis' hand tightened on her shoulder. "If there are living Jaegers here, we will bring them back as intact as possible. Tendo saved Cherno, Crimson, and Gipsy… he will save any others."

Sasha nodded. "Cherno, take us inside."

Cherno shook again, fear ringing through the drift. But he stepped effortlessly over the fence and crouched to lower his passengers to the ground.

"All right, listen up!" barked the lead mechanic as soon as he'd set foot on solid ground. "We need parts from Mark III Jaegers, as new as possible! If we can't find those, Mark II or IV will do in a pinch, but Tendo prefers III if at all possible. We need an arm, two legs, a power core, as many diesel-engine muscle strands as you can find…"

Cherno ignored the humans and moved to the nearest cairn. This Jaeger's chassis had been disassembled at some point, presumably for easier transport, and its limbs had been stacked in a tidy pile before the mangled chassis, ripped open by claws or an explosion, had been set on top. There was no Conn Pod… but even without it, there was no mistaking the tarnished-gold alloy of its plating, or the tiger's-head emblem adorning its shoulder pauldron.

 _Nova._ Cherno reached out and rested his hand on the cairn. _Nova Hyperion._

Sasha swallowed, forcing herself to not weep, to be strong for her son. "I am sorry, Cherno."

 _It isn't your fault,_ he insisted. _I just… remember her too strongly. This is harder than I thought it would be._ He leaned forward to touch his reactor tower to the cairn, keening softly.

"We are here for you, Cherno," Aleksis assured him. He looked to be keeping his composure well, but his voice was still thick with emotion.

Cherno remained kneeling before Nova's remains for a long while, his entire chassis vibrating as he keened his grief. No one dared approach him, and the Kaidonovskys remained respectfully silent. For the first time, Cherno could properly mourn his fallen comrades, and they had no right to take that from him now.

 _You fought well, Nova,_ he told her. _I'm honored to have fought beside you. You… you can rest now. Just rest._ He shifted forward to lightly bump his Conn Pod against her torso, making Sasha and Aleksis stagger.

_Oh! Sorry!_

"No, we are fine," Sasha assured him. "Just do what you need to do."

He pushed himself to his feet. _I think… I think I'm done. I just needed to see her one more time. To say goodbye._ He turned and walked toward another cairn. _Who is this? I don't know this one._

"Matador Fury," Aleksis replied. "He… or she… was a Western Jaeger, from Mexico. A Mark III."

 _Oh._ He reached out and let the tips of his fingers brush across the coppery-red metal and green-tinted glass of Matador's Conn Pod. _Mark III… perhaps we can use him to repair Gipsy?_

"If his parts are in good shape. And… and if he is truly dead."

 _I don't sense life in him. It should be safe._ He hesitated. _You think Matador would be okay with this?_

Sasha thought on that a moment. What they were doing was essentially grave-robbing… and yet did they have much of a choice? It was either this or let Gipsy lie in agony on the floor of the Jaeger bay, or put her out of her misery. Besides, though the Jaegers she had met so far had a variety of personalities, none of them seemed cruel or disdainful of their fellow Jaegers. She knew little about Matador Fury and nothing about his personality, but some part of her thought that he wouldn't have denied Gipsy his components. Not when it meant saving her life.

"He would be," she said at last. "I do not think he would have objected."

Cherno nodded, and he leaned down to lift the massive torso. His pistons strained with the effort of trying to shift the heavy body, and metal groaned in protest all around them.

_I only see one leg… the other must have been destroyed._

"We will find another," Sasha assured him. "For now, get his other limbs…"

A high, howling cry split the air. Cherno yelped and dropped the chassis, making the approaching mechanics and technicians stagger.

_What was that?!_

Sasha couldn't answer – she had no clue. Another weird cry rang through the oncoming dusk, seeming to vibrate every strut in Cherno's chassis and setting her teeth on edge. That cry was followed up by a series of sharp shrieks that stabbed through her head like knives, and she clapped her hands to her ears to try to muffle the sound.

A shout drifted up from the humans below, barely captured by the Jaeger's audials – "Oh my GOD!"

Aleksis' hand tightened on Sasha's shoulder. "Look!"

Sasha peered out of the Conn Pod… and felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. Something was rising out of a heap of miscellaneous scrap about two hundred meters away, like a zombie emerging from the grave in a bad horror movie. It reared up on two legs, listing to one side and swaying as if drunk or injured, junk falling away from it in a metallic rain. It was nearly as tall as Cherno, perhaps slightly taller with the twin projections rising off its shoulders, and though it was hard to make out its details in the hazy air, the silhouette of the thing was enough to strike terror in the hearts of the Shatterdome crew.

"Kaiju," Sasha murmured, feeling a flash of anger slash through her horror. It wasn't enough for the Precursors to defile Gipsy Danger, now they had to send their attack hounds to desecrate the fallen…

"Not a Kaiju," Aleksis replied. "Sasha… that is a Jaeger."

She turned to stare at him. "Impossible!"

 _He's right… it's another Jaeger!_ His "voice" trembled with wild joy. _A survivor! Others are coming fully to life!_

The revived Jaeger uttered another series of shrieks and lurched toward them, limping badly on a right leg that terminated in a stump rather than a proper foot. Claw marks riddled its plating, some actually piercing the metal to expose internal workings, and rust and dirt caked its wounds. Cracks marred the blue glass of its Conn Pod, and while its arms and hands looked intact, one was held at an awkward angle as if broken. The twin cannons jutting from its shoulders looked warped and twisted, as if they had been chewed on.

Sasha sucked in a breath of recognition. She knew this Jaeger! It was one of Cherno's generation, a Mark I, one of the most famous Jaegers in the program…

The Jaeger shrieked again and lunged, but Cherno sidestepped the punch easily. Coyote Tango gave another feral howl and wheeled about, groping like a blind man, its cries continuing to rip through the air like the cries of a wild animal. Like the others upon their "birth," it was blind… but that didn't seem to stop it from trying to rip them apart.

"Cherno, you have to stop him!" Aleksis ordered. "He has gone mad!"

 _She,_ Cherno replied. _Coyote's a she. And she has not gone mad._ He stepped back to avoid another lunge. _Papa… she's trying to defend the Jaegers. She doesn't want us taking their parts._

So the legends were true… Oblivion Bay was haunted, but not by ghosts. Coyote Tango had somehow come to life on her own, and appointed herself the guardian of her fallen comrades. How had she escaped detection all these years?

Coyote made a final lunge, but this time Cherno was ready for her. He grabbed her wrists, hanging on gamely as she thrashed to break free, howling her rage.

_Coyote, it's me! It's Cherno Alpha! I'm a Mark I like you!_

An angry voice cut into all their minds, sharp and harsh like a serrated blade. _Thief!_

_Coyote, stop this! I'm not going to hurt you!_

_Thief!_ Coyote insisted, engines snarling in rage. _Intruder! Take – violate – desecrate – Matador – fallen – thief!_ Her thoughts were disjointed, almost animalistic, single words punctuated by crazed growls. _Cherno – leave!_

_Coyote… we need these parts. Please, there are other Jaegers like us… other living Jaegers! But one of them is hurt badly, and if we don't get these parts, we can't fix her!_

_NO! Thief! Desecrate! Go – not – yours!_ Coyote arched her back and let out a roar of anger, her thoughts blazing with righteous rage. It didn't matter to her that Cherno was another of her kind, or that he was on a mission to save a comrade. She wasn't about to let him defile the graves of their dead.

Sasha knew she should be terrified by this feral Jaeger… but her heart ached for Coyote. Had her time in Oblivion Bay done this to her? Or had losing her Rangers damaged her beyond repair? Unlike the others, her Rangers were dead… had that left a hole in the drift that had consumed her sanity?

Cherno tightened his grip on Coyote's wrists. _Please… Matador would want this. All of them would want this. They would want to help our kind. Coyote, please… don't let Gipsy join the others here. Let us help her… let us help you. Come back with us._

She shuddered and shrieked again. _No! Here… needed… protect… obey…_

_Obey? Obey who?_

Her answer shocked them all – _Stacker. Stacker Pentecost._

* * *

Herc had taken a break from supervising Gipsy's repairs to feed Max and Bruno, and he was enjoying a rare peaceful moment with the dogs when his phone went off. He gave a deep sigh and forced himself to ignore it, rubbing Max's head as the bulldog slobbered over his meal and pushing Bruno lightly over to scratch his belly. Whoever it was, they could bloody well call back. Even the Marshal of the Shatterdome deserved a break every so often, right?

The phone quieted a moment as it went to voice mail… then started right back up.

"Goddammit," he grumbled, fishing the device out of his pocket. "Marshal Hansen here. This better be important."

"Ranger Kaidonovsky," Aleksis replied. "You are on speaker. We need your words."

"What the bleedin' hell are you talking about?"

"We need your words. Marshal Pentecost delivered an order, and we need you to countermand it."

"What order?"

"The order to guard Oblivion Bay. We need you to release someone from their duty to guard the Jaeger graveyard."

Herc snorted. "Ain't my job. Just tell whatever rent-a-cop they've got there to shove aside. You've got Cherno, he can just step over the fence, can't he?"

"She will not back down unless the Marshal tells her so. Tell her you release her from the duties Marshal Pentecost gave her."

"Why's this so all-fired important anyhow?"

"Marshal Hansen… it is Coyote Tango. Another Jaeger."

Herc had to sit down at that. "You gotta be kiddin' me."

"You know I have no sense of humor, Hercules," Aleksis replied, though he swore he could hear a snicker in the Ranger's voice. "Tell Coyote Tango you release her from her duty. You are on Cherno's loudspeaker, so speak clearly."

Herc shook his head, still dazed by the news. Another live Jaeger? One that had long been sent to Oblivion Bay as defunct and outdated? Here he thought he couldn't be surprised anymore…

"Coyote Tango… I… I guess I release you from your duties. You don't need to guard Oblivion Bay anymore. You've done your job. Thank you." He waited a moment before speaking up again. "That do it?"

"Well enough. She is standing down. And tell Tendo we will be bringing components from Matador Fury and Solar Prophet when we come back… as well as Coyote. With luck, she will have calmed down by the time we return."

Herc waited until Aleksis hung up, then tossed the phone onto his berth with a groan. Dammit, why couldn't Pentecost have gotten the weirdness instead of him? Or was this the universe's way of making sure his tenure as Marshal was just as strange and stressful as Pentecost's?


	19. Unlikely Sisters

_Lost… he was lost._

_Cherno Alpha reeled with pain – his own damages, and the agony radiating from his Rangers like twin spotlights focused directly into his core. The physical hurt was bad enough, but a deeper pain glowed in his chassis… the familiar ache of loss, of seeing Crimson Typhoon fall under the claws and tail of Otachi._

_And yet he clung savagely to the pain, like a drowning man clutching a rope. For the pain at least reminded him that he was still alive._

_Blackness… he was surrounded by it, lost in a dark and silent prison. The last thing he had seen was Leatherback's horrifically ugly face looming over his Conn Pod, and the last thing he had heard was the sound of some vital component in his chassis detonating as the Kaiju had grabbed his Conn Pod and brutally twisted it. Somehow, that action had cut off all sight and sound... and all he had known since then was pain, cold, and the suffocating blackness._

_Mother… Father… were they okay? Had the attack knocked them out? Had Leatherback's energy field somehow interfered with their drift, shutting down the electrical impulses in their minds as well as those systems in his chassis that still fitfully sputtered with life? Or had something far more terrible happened?_

Mama… Papa… are you there? _His voice somehow sounded faint, even to him, but it was there, hanging in the drift like the chiming of a bell._ Can you hear me?

_The faintest glow shone through the drift, and a burst of joy filled his core. They were alive! Sasha and Aleksis lived… barely. They were shadows of their former selves, mere sparks where once their presences had blazed brightly in their shared link, but they were there. And yet they wouldn't respond to him – or couldn't respond. They felt curiously muffled, as if something heavy were pinning them down._

Answer me! _he begged._ Please! Talk to me! Can you hear me?

_For a moment Aleksis' presence seemed to flicker in response, trying to answer. But just as quickly it faded, and their light seemed to dim. Cherno continued to call and reach for them, fighting down the urge to panic. No… he couldn't lose them! He had lost so much already – Eden, Warlock, Nova, Crimson, so many fellow Jaegers… he couldn't lose his Rangers too! If anything happened to Sasha or Aleksis, it would kill him. He couldn't bear the thought of living on without them…_

Don't go! Please don't go! I'm… scared… _Now more than ever, he wished he were human – the urge to break down and sob had never been so overwhelming._ I need you with me, I'm so scared…

_He had no sense of the passage of time, and so had no idea how long he hung there, begging, pleading with his Rangers to hold on, to come back to him. But at last, at long last, it happened – first Aleksis, then Sasha flared to life, awakening from whatever had locked them in slumber. Fear, shock, and pain filled the drift, but they lived… and for Cherno, that was enough._

_He could reach out to them no longer – his efforts had exhausted him deeply. But they would live… and if his final act in this world was to ensure his Rangers survived, so be it. Jaegers were created to protect humanity, and it was only right that his last action be to save his parents from succumbing to final oblivion. He only wished he could say goodbye…_

* * *

The deck of the _Ao Kuang_ practically groaned under the combined weight of the two Mark I Jaegers, as well as the components the teams had scavenged from Matador Fury and Solar Prophet. Somehow, Cherno Alpha had managed to convince Coyote Tango to "play dead" and let him haul her aboard the battleship – Tendo had ordered them to take every possible precaution to keep Cherno's sentience a secret, and that, by extension, meant that no one outside the Shatterdome personnel could know that Coyote was alive. Coyote obviously hated taking orders from anyone who wasn't Pentecost, but in the end had complied.

Cherno kept a gentle hand on the Japanese Jaeger's shoulder as he settled in beside her prone body. Another live Jaeger… four of their kind now moved of their own volition. He knew that trying to fit one more self-governing titan into the Shatterdome would have its own set of complications. But for now, all that mattered was that another of their kind had escaped destruction. For now, he would simply be happy that Coyote was alive, if damaged and a bit off-kilter.

A soft pat to one of his interior consoles interrupted his thoughts, and he turned his attention to his Rangers. _Papa?_

"How fares Coyote"

_She's resting, Papa. Her reactor core still functions, but not at full capacity. Her outburst at Oblivion Bay tired her, and she will need to recharge before she can move much._

"Ah… will she cooperate? If she has another outburst, it could sink the ship."

_She won't sink the ship. She promised to behave._

Aleksis accepted that – he had utmost faith in his Jaeger. "How is it that we can understand her? We cannot understand Crimson or Gipsy without their Rangers acting as interpreters. Is it because her Rangers are dead?"

_I don't know, Papa. Maybe it's because you were in my Conn Pod while she was talking? Or perhaps because she is older, and has been sentient longer. Maybe I'll also learn to talk to others who aren't my Rangers with time._

"That would be wonderful," said Sasha. "We never mind relaying what you have to say, but it would be very convenient if you could talk to Tendo or Bailey directly rather than through an intermediary. Perhaps Coyote can teach you?"

Coyote stirred, and Cherno squeezed her shoulder in warning. The Jaeger stilled, but not before irritation flashed from her core to Cherno's.

 _You and your Rangers are talking about me._ That was the longest sentence she'd managed to string together since they had left the Jaeger graveyard.

 _We are,_ Cherno acknowledged. _We're just curious about you. Please don't move; the sailors are watching._

_Don't care. You move. Why can't I move?_

_They think my Mama and Papa are piloting me…_ He racked his mind for a tactful way to put the rest of it. _We don't have Rangers available to pretend to pilot you. I'm sorry, but you need to stay "dead" for awhile longer, until we get back to Hong Kong._

 _Hong Kong… Stacker…_ Her chassis tensed beneath his hand as she suppressed a tremor. _Miss him… miss him so much. Felt him die. Hurt… hurt so much._

Cherno squeezed her shoulder, this time in an attempt to comfort her. _I'm sorry._

 _Lucky Cherno,_ she went on, ignoring his apology. _Have both Rangers. Don't know pain. Lost Tamsin. Cancer. Slow and painful. Then lost Stacker. Quicker… no less painful._

Cherno shuddered. _I almost lost them… I could feel them slipping away from me. You're right… I'm lucky. They stayed with me._ He rubbed comfortingly at her shoulder. _What was Stacker Pentecost to you? Your father, or your brother, or something else?_

 _Father. Tamsin mother… Stacker father. Got sick… were sent away. Tamsin died without saying goodbye._ Another tremor. _Stacker still visited, though. Even when forbidden. Was there when I awoke… when I moved on my own. Was a wonderful day… almost better than first drift._

_When was this?_

_Two years ago? Three? Hard to remember… hard to track time in Oblivion Bay._

_You said Pentecost gave you orders… what sort of orders?_

_Protect Jaegers… protect Oblivion Bay. Protect our kind._ A grim determination radiated from her. _Humans destroying our kind. Melting us down, cannibalizing us. Stacker gave command – protect my kind. Others could still be alive… had to give them the chance to truly live._

Cherno's visual sensors moved from Coyote to the horizon as he processed what she said. _Did you get that, Mama and Papa?_

"We did," Sasha replied. "Pentecost knew all this time… I suspected he might, but he never said anything. Had he shared this information with the PPDC, we could have saved so many others!"

"Or he would have been dismissed as a madman," Aleksis pointed out. "Who would have believed him?"

"He had Coyote as proof," Sasha argued. "With her by his side, he could have convinced them."

"Perhaps he feared she would be destroyed if he came forward," Aleksis defended. "Sasha, the past is past. We cannot change what Pentecost chose to do… we can only move forward from here. Let us focus on saving the Jaegers we have now."

Sasha sighed but didn't press the issue further. Cherno, for his part, couldn't help feeling a stab of resentment toward the former Marshal. Despite all that he had done for the Jaeger program and the world at large, he had kept vital information from the world, information that could have saved the Jaeger program and kept more of his kind alive. Even if he had kept silent, he could have at least worked to rescue more Jaegers from Oblivion Bay, and perhaps reunite them with their Rangers if they still lived…

"Cherno," Aleksis murmured. "Pentecost did everything he could. He brought Gipsy back, and saved you, Crimson, and Striker from being decommissioned. And I'm sure he would have done more if he had the money and resources. Do not be angry with him. To have saved four of your kind is something to honor him for."

Cherno thrummed in reply. He still didn't fully understand concepts like money, but he knew the lack of it had been an obstacle for the Hong Kong Shatterdome since day one. He didn't like that it had likely cost them the ability to save more Jaegers, but he supposed he could accept it… or at least lay the blame on that instead of on Pentecost's shoulders.

"Cherno… ask Coyote how she was able to navigate Oblivion Bay without sight or sound. To be able to find her way around, escape detection, and build memorials for her comrades without those senses is… incredible."

Cherno relayed the question, and a smug purr rose from Coyote's engines. For the first time since their initial encounter, she seemed pleased.

 _Echolocation,_ she replied. _Can't see or hear… but can feel. Created vibrations, and read the returning waves. Could sense obstacles. Could also feel intruders. Very sensitive to vibrations. Constructed memorials by touch. First ones clumsy… but got better._

"Echolocation… like dolphins!" exclamied Sasha.

"All this explains so much about the 'haunting' of Oblivion Bay," said Aleksis with a chuckle. "The screaming was simply Coyote finding her way around. And the moving of Jaeger parts was her doing as well."

That made sense to Cherno. He'd used a similar trick in trying to distract Crimson from attacking the LOCCENT when he'd first awakened, only in reverse. He hadn't realized that Jaegers could be that sensitive to vibrations, but then, he'd never had time to focus and hone that ability. Coyote had spent years fine-tuning her own sense of touch, if only out of sheer necessity.

 _You have sight and sound?_ she asked, curiosity coloring her tone. _Lucky… want to know for myself. No Rangers… no more link to sight and sound. Miss it more than I realized._

Cherno patted her shoulder. _When we get back to the Shatterdome, Tendo and the technicians will get you sight and hearing. They've helped me and Crimson, and are now helping Gipsy. I'm sure they'll help you too._

_Crimson… I don't know that name. Gipsy… was in Oblivion Bay. Kept crying for her Rangers. Didn't stay long… thought she was melted down. She… she lives? She moves?_

_Yes! She's badly damaged, but we're hoping to repair her. I'm sorry that we had to take parts from other Jaegers to fix her… but I think Matador and Solar would have wanted it._

Coyote pondered his statement a moment. _Want to meet the others._

_You will. When we get back to Hong Kong, you will. I promise you that. Gipsy will be happy to see you, I'm sure… and Crimson will be excited to meet another Mark I._

He almost said something about Mustang, but checked himself. How could he explain the new Jaeger to Coyote when even he wasn't sure what to think about the Mark VI? Powerful and swift Mustang Omega might be, but he remained as curiously lifeless as ever. Was there some sort of fundamental design flaw that kept the black Jaeger from developing his own sentience? Or was it something else entirely?

* * *

When the Kaidonovskys had left the Shatterdome, Gipsy Danger had been a lifeless-looking wreck, caked in dirt and Precursor slime, mangled almost beyond recognition. In the few days they had been gone, however, she looked markedly improved. Ripped wiring had been capped and sealed, ragged plating had been trimmed smooth and prepped for replacement parts and armor, and the broken glass of her Conn Pod had been restored. The thick tissue that had bound her remaining parts together was gone as well, a thorough cleaning leaving her shining under the hangar lights. She still looked small and incomplete with three missing limbs, but the cleanup and repair had done wonders to restore her.

At the moment Gipsy lay propped against a wall, doubtless with the aid of Crimson, and her attention was focused on a projection screen that had been set up in her hangar. Aleksis sternly reminded himself not to laugh once he caught sight of what was on the screen. It wasn't his business what anyone liked to watch in their spare time, he told himself, and if Cherno Alpha could have developed a liking for Disney movies on his own, then who was he to judge if Gipsy happened to like…

"What's up with the _Sailor Moon_ marathon anyhow?" demanded Lexie, stepping up at that moment. "I thought we were a military base, not a drive-in theater." The young Ranger looked to be fresh off a training run in Mustang's Conn Pod, still in her drive suit and her dreadlocks contained by what looked like a swim cap to fit in the helmet.

"It's for Gipsy," Mako explained. "Once we installed her visual and audio sensors, we set it up for her. It helped keep her calm during the rest of her cleanup and repairs. She enjoys it."

Lexie snorted. "You'd think a giant robot would like something a little more awesome than a magic girl show. Like _Transformers,_ or _Gundam_ or _Escaflowne_ if it HAD to be an anime."

Mako frowned, but seemed to decide that it was best to be silent if you couldn't be polite. Instead she turned her attention to Aleksis. "Marshal Hansen gave us the news. Coyote… she is alive?"

Aleksis nodded. "She returned with us. She is… strange. Years of isolation were not kind to her."

"Oh god, another one?" Lexie rolled her eyes. "Christ, what is up with the Jaeger zombie plague all of a sudden?"

"They're not zombies," Mako told her, the slightest tremor in her voice as she fought to maintain her calm. "They are alive, as much as you and I are. And they should be treated with the same respect you feel you deserve."

Lexie either missed the veiled insult or just decided to ignore it. "It's freaky is what it is. Not natural. I mean, we've been piloting Mustang for a few months now, and we haven't gotten any psychic messages or anything."

"Perhaps you simply choose not to hear them," Aleksis suggested.

"Or maybe we just lucked out and got a normal Jaeger and not a freak of nature." And with that, Lexie strode off, leaving Mako and Aleksis to gape at her in angry shock.

Gipsy gave a soft whine, and Mako turned quickly toward her with a reassuring expression. "No, Gipsy, you did nothing wrong. We don't have to turn off the show. She just has an attitude."

"I have other words for it besides 'attitude,'" Raleigh grumbled. "Geez, if I were Mustang, I'd be playing dead just so I didn't have to deal with her."

Before the conversation could continue down that route, Cherno stepped up, carrying Matador Fury's copper-red limbs. He set these down in front of Gipsy like an offering, then stepped back. Her Conn Pod tilted down to regard them, and a soft keen issued from her chassis.

 _She can't believe we would do this for her,_ Cherno explained. _She is grateful, though. She wants to be able to walk again, and help defend the world again._ A burst of amusement. _She is also very upset that after all she did to close the Breach, we still have a Kaiju problem. She's determined to get back on her feet and fix it._

At that, Aleksis couldn't help but smile. Even in her broken state, Gipsy was still eager to return to action. And if she, despite all she had suffered at the hands of the Precursors, could overcome her trauma and pledge herself to fight the monsters of the Breach once again… then perhaps Cherno could learn to overcome his own fears, and face the Kaiju once more.

Gipsy's keening intensified as Coyote approached, Crimson holding the Mark I's arm to guide her and ground crews clearing the path before her. She limped on her broken foot and moved with a hesitant shuffle, but somehow she managed to carry herself with a dignified air. Crimson, for his part, hummed with pleasure, and Aleksis didn't need Cherno's translation to know that the Mark IV considered it a great honor to assist a legend.

Coyote drew to a halt beside Gipsy, and with Crimson's aid she knelt by her side. Her hand reached out, bumping clumsily against the blue Jaeger's torso until it managed to find her shoulder. She squeezed gently, emitting a low croon of greeting. Gipsy keened again, her voice finding harmony with Coyote's, and she raised her hand to rest it on the elder Jaeger's.

 _Coyote says well done,_ Cherno translated. _Gipsy performed well at the Breach… and Pentecost would be proud of what she'd done. She also says to take good care of Mako._

Aleksis nodded. He never doubted that Gipsy would neglect Mako, any more than she would neglect Raleigh. But Pentecost had been protective of his adopted daughter, and it was only natural that Coyote would have inherited that same drive to guard and protect her, if only to keep some small part of her Ranger alive.

When he chanced a glance at Mako, he was startled to see her openly weeping, despite the smile on her face. The young Ranger had always kept her emotions tightly sealed away, and seeing her express her joy and lingering grief so openly, while not as big a shock as seeing Coyote walk under her own power, was still unusual.

"Will you be all right?" he asked.

She nodded and raised her hands to dash the tears away. "The PPDC should see this. How could they bear to destroy the Jaegers after… this?"

He nodded in agreement. After seeing the metallic titans not only move on their own, but express joy and grief and fear as readily as any human, how could anyone call for their destruction? Yet he knew that a display of emotion wouldn't be enough to convince some… and that the battle to save as many of the Jaegers as they could was far from over.

* * *

_Mako._

The voice flowed through her mind as easily as Gipsy's, yet it didn't belong to the Mark III. It was somehow darker than Gipsy's, rougher and brassier, as if time had ravaged it somehow. And yet there was a familiar flavor to it, an inflection to the words that she had once heard before in Pentecost's voice…

Mako shook her head and looked up from the connection she was soldering in Gipsy's leg. Coyote hadn't left the blue Jaeger's side since her arrival, hovering over her like a fretful parent at the bedside of a sick child. She hadn't even stirred when the technicians had entered her Conn Pod to install the sensors that would grant her sight and sound, only keened her approval when said sensors were finally activated. Gipsy had basked in the attention, simply awed to be in the presence of a legend.

She hadn't expected the Mark I to make contact – all other Jaegers had only communicated through their Rangers. Yet Coyote had the ability, and had been able to converse with the Kaidonovskys and even exchanged a few words with Hercules, though to Tendo she remained curiously silent. What granted her that ability, and could she teach it to the others?

_Mako._

Mako set her tools down. "I hear you, Coyote."

The gray Jaeger nodded slowly. _Stacker spoke highly of you._

Her heart squeezed painfully at that. "He did?"

_Stacker had faith in you. Said you were angry, but smart and strong. Feared for you… loved you. Called you daughter._

Her eyes burned with tears, and she struggled to hold them back. "Thank you."

Coyote hummed in reply. _Miss him… felt his death. Sudden, like the sun exploding. Not slow like Tamsin._

"He died a warrior," Mako whispered. "I didn't want to lose him, but… better a warrior than on a sickbed. He would have wanted it that way."

 _To die a Ranger,_ Coyote agreed. _Even in the Conn Pod of another Jaeger…_ She looked away, and though Mako couldn't feel her emotions like she could feel Gipsy's, she had a feeling as to what was troubling her.

"You're jealous?" she asked. "That he piloted Striker Eureka instead of you?"

 _Not jealous…_ Coyote's chassis heaved as if she were sighing. _Fine. Little jealous. Should have fought the final fight with him. Wish I had. But… had my duties. Couldn't abandon Oblivion Bay. And too many questions if decommissioned Jaeger showed up in Hong Kong. Just… wish I had said goodbye._

Mako cupped her face in her hands, a sob finally breaking free. Gods, she missed Pentecost. He would never replace her family, but he had been a father figure and teacher to her, taking her under his wing and giving her the chance to exact justice for her slain parents. His death had left a hole in her heart that would never fully close. And though her bond with him had been nowhere near as close as Coyote's drift, she felt she knew some measure of the Jaeger's pain.

Coyote's presence nudged at her mind. _We have each other now. We are sisters. Not by blood, but by drift. Through Stacker, we are family._

 _And me,_ Gipsy chimed in. _Mako is like a sister to me. I… I guess that makes us sisters too, Coyote?_

Coyote growled softly, and for a moment Mako thought she would reject the idea of a younger Jaeger trying to steal her new family away. But in the end the Mark I nodded. _Yes… sisters. The three of us._

Gipsy raised her hand, the copper-red alloy of Matador's armor clashing with her slate-blue chassis. Coyote hesitated, then raised her own hand to rest it on Gipsy's, as if to seal the deal. Mako raised her own hand in a symbolic gesture, mirroring the two Jaegers. They were family now… a most unlikely family, but a family nonetheless. They would stand together in the face of whatever else this world or the Anteverse chose to throw their way.

Gipsy lowered her hand. _Watch the show with me, Coyote? I'm still waiting for them to finish with my legs._

Coyote's engines snorted at that. _Cartoons? Silly. Waste of time._

_Not silly! They're fun! And Usagi's adorable, even if she's kind of clumsy and not that smart. And there's a Mako in this show too, though she's not much like our Mako…_

Mako let the two Jaegers talk as she climbed down from Gipsy's leg to fetch another set of tools. Coyote would settle in well here. Now to finish repairing Gipsy… and explain to Raleigh that Coyote had latched onto her as another family member. She didn't think he would object too much, even if Coyote was a bit more cantankerous than the Mark III…

"They seem to be getting along well."

She turned at the sound of that unfamiliar voice. A woman was gazing up at Gipsy and Coyote, a wry smile on her face as she watched the two Jaegers interact. Slender but by no means insubstantial, she wore her long blond hair in a ponytail, and wire-rimmed glasses framed her eyes. There was something familiar about her, but Mako couldn't place it – it was as if she recognized a face that should be famous but couldn't put a name to it or recall what magazine or movie she'd seen it in.

"I recognize Coyote Tango," she went on, pointing up at the gray Jaeger. "The other one's Gipsy Danger, right? I only ever saw pictures of her. And I could have sworn she didn't have a red arm. Fashion statement or just spare parts?"

"Who are you?" Mako demanded, frowning. Who was this woman to come in and immediately start criticizing the Jaegers? For the record, why had Tendo let her in? Wasn't there a strict rule about visitors to the Shatterdome right now? If news of the Jaegers' sentience leaked out and reached the PPDC…

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners?" The woman laughed and extended a hand. "Sorry. I forget social niceties sometimes. Guess it's still the awkward scientist in me."

"Scientist?" That jogged Mako's memory a little. There was something significant about this woman… something that had to do with the Jaeger program…

"Yes, I'm a scientist… or was at one point." She lowered her hand once it became obvious Mako wasn't going to shake it. "And if you're worried about your cover being blown here, don't worry. Tendo has me sworn to secrecy. In fact, he asked me to come here and help you with the Jaegers."

"And what help did he tell you we needed?" she asked warily.

"Understanding what they're becoming," she replied. "My name is Dr. Caitlin Lightcap, Jaeger program scientist and Ranger to Brawler Yukon. And it looks like we have a lot to discuss."


	20. Lightcap Explains

_She supposed, in the grand scheme of things, the titan standing before her couldn't have been called ancient or even very old at all. In fact, compared to countless other monuments and artifacts preserved over the ages, even compared to the very building containing him, he was practically a newborn. But Brawler Yukon bore the remarkable title of First Jaeger, the grandfather of all his kind, and could very well be considered an antique next to newbuilts like Crimson Typhoon and Striker Eureka. State-of-the-art in his day, he was now outdated and obsolete, useless to the PPDC._

_Caitlin Lightcap shook her head, not taking her eyes off the Jaeger. Fools. They didn't understand that every Jaeger was precious, even the Mark Is, even those that had been broken beyond repair and relegated to the graveyard. They were so obsessed with their quest for stronger, faster, more advanced Jaegers – or simply abandoning them entirely in favor of the Wall of Life – that they didn't stop to think that they would be better off developing the ones they already had, focusing their resources on improving them instead of starting from scratch every time._

_And if they would only stop to actually study their Jaegers more closely, instead of treating them like weapons or vehicles, they would realize they had something truly wonderful on their hands._

_The Canadian PPDC Memorial Museum had been built around an abandoned grain silo, which had been cleaned out and refitted to house its prize exhibit, Brawler Yukon. Caitlin made it a point to visit as often as she could, both to give lectures to visitors about the program and to touch base with the Mark I herself. After Sergio's death, she was Yukon's only Ranger… his only link to the outside world. He might be retired, consigned to this museum after his final battle left him a crippled wreck, but he deserved some companionship, however infrequent._

_She rested a hand on the velvet rope that marked the boundary between observer and Jaeger, wishing she could cross it but knowing that doing so would have her banned from the museum in a heartbeat. It had been pure instinct, she thought, a split-second decision made without thought for her own safety, that had changed her from an antisocial scientist to a warrior. She hadn't intended to forge a neural handshake, only save a man clearly on the verge of death, and avoid a catastrophe that could have spelled the doom of the Jaeger program. Had she known what would happen once she donned the Pons headset and entered the drift…_

_No. She would have done it anyhow. She had no regrets, and never would._

_Brawler's presence in her mind stirred, sluggish and sleepy. His reactor had been excised long ago, his engines gone cold, but some measure of sentience still burned within him, however faint. She had long ago talked the technicians into keeping a little power going to his computer core, to keep the lights and equipment in his Conn Pod running to show visitors what an active cockpit looked like. That, and that alone, had kept Brawler energized enough to maintain contact._

" _You okay?" she whispered softly._

_A soft pulse was his reply. He felt weak and slow, but he wasn't in physical pain. He ached with loneliness, though, and wished she could stay by his side._

" _I wish I could," she murmured. "But the PPDC still needs me. I promise you… once this war is over, I will take a position here and stay with you. That's a promise I WILL keep."_

_Another soft pulse. He would hold her to that. And would she please not wait so long between visits… he missed having a friendly presence, especially after a malignant brain tumor had taken Sergio from them both. He had lost his father… he would not also lose his mother._

_Caitlin raised a hand, wishing she could reach out and touch the cool metal of Brawler's leg. Mother… never in all her life had she imagined that her work with the PPDC would result in her being a mother. But in drifting with Sergio, she had inadvertently created life, however unconventionally. And ever since that first neural handshake, Brawler had regarded the two of them as mother and father… which wasn't too farfetched, she supposed._

_She had never shared this finding with anyone else. She and Sergio had believed it was a simple flight of fancy on their part at first. When they realized they weren't imagining things, and Brawler Yukon was indeed a living, sentient being, they still kept quiet, knowing that coming forward with this information could result in them being ejected from the program. Sergio had taken the secret to his grave… but Caitlin vowed that someday the world would know the truth._

" _Soon," she murmured, lowering her hand. "Very soon, Brawler, we will let the world know. And you and your kind will no longer have to hide."_

* * *

An insistent rapping on the door jolted Newt from an uneasy sleep. Without opening his eyes he groped for his glasses, cursing the damned Kaiju cult and their penchant for rising early the whole time. What was it about religious fundamentalists that made them such early risers anyhow? Why couldn't there be a cult or sect or denomination whose deity encouraged sleeping in?

The rapping continued, and with a groan the blankets on the other bed heaved and slid aside. Hermann pushed himself upright, blinking blearily in Newt's direction as the biologist finally slid his glasses on.

"What time is it?"

"Too-damn-early-thirty in the morning is what," Newt huffed, and turned to the door. "Hey, let us sleep, why don't you?"

"High Priestess Mikhail requests your presence in the Inner Sanctum," came the reply.

Newt blinked. Had it been a week already? Was there any way he could play sick and skip this? The last time they'd drifted with Mutavore's brain, he swore his head was going to explode. And he and Hermann had been plagued by nightmares ever since – images of Kaiju being stitched together from raw materials, of a huge world map formed from some kind of gelatinous material hanging over a conference table, of shark-like eyes peering out of insectoid faces as if they knew who was watching them… and were watching right back…

"Get up, Newton," Hermann told him. "We're not going to get out of this. We may as well get it over with."

Newt's gut churned as he forced himself out of bed and got dressed, his hands shaky. He had a feeling they weren't going to be able to get away with the same excuse as last time. Mikhail was going to want actual answers… answers that could whip the cult into a frenzy. If they knew the Precursors had a Kaiju ready to unleash on Hong Kong, who knew how they would react. More Jaeger sabotage? A full-out assault against the Shatterdome? Mass suicide Heaven's-Gate-style? How did you predict what a bunch of lunatics were going to do anyhow?

The acolyte bowed politely when the two scientists emerged from their quarters, unperturbed by their rumpled, bleary-eyed appearances, and led them down the hall. Newt shuffled after him, while Hermann hitched his way forward, his limp even more pronounced today. The mathematician hadn't shaved in three days and looked pretty scruffy, but Newt figured pointing that out would only invite sarcastic comments.

No big audience awaited them in the Inner Sanctum today – only Mikhail, wearing her ceremonial robes and a headdress bearing bright blue tendrils like a sea anemone… or, perhaps more accurately, Leatherback's EMP organ. The blue glow of the organ tanks gave her skin a ghastly, cadaverous tone, and though she wore a gentle smile, her eyes glittered like those of a predator. Behind her, Mutavore's brain bobbed slowly up and down with the cycle of preservative fluid, and though it might have been Newt's imagination, he could have sworn the Kaiju fragment was watching them, ready to deliver its own judgment toward those who dared disturb its final rest.

"Welcome back, Dr. Geizler, Dr. Gottlieb," Mikhail told them, nodding. "You look exhausted… are you feeling all right?"

"Kinda groggy," Newt admitted. "Haven't been sleeping well…"

"You can spare us your false sympathies, madam," Hermann snapped, cane clacking on the mosaic floor as he made his way toward the priestess. "I can tell you right now that we are not engaging in another neural handshake with this… thing."

Her expression didn't change. "But Dr. Gottlieb, I thought we had an arrangement. Your safe sanctuary here in exchange for whatever information you can give us from the Deep Ones and their Messengers. Why the change of heart?"

"If you want information so badly, you can drift with the Kaiju yourself," Hermann retorted, ignoring the question. "We are done. We will not subject ourselves to this again."

Her eyes flashed in anger, but it was there and gone so fast that Newt wondered if he'd imagined it. "Very well… if that is how you feel about it. You may pack your things and go. There is a Catholic church outside the slums that will grant you sanctuary for a time until you get back on your feet."

Newt's brow furrowed in confusion. "That's it? You're just gonna let us go?"

"We are not your captors, Newton. You are here as guests, and guests have a right to leave at any time. We would greatly appreciate your help… but we want you to help us willingly."

Relief swamped him at that. "Phew… I guess we'll go, then. Can I go pick up Spike before I leave? I know he's sacred and all to you guys, but he's my buddy and-"

"I don't see why not." She made a shooing motion with one hand. "Go. And may the Deep Ones watch over you."

He couldn't resist giving her a respectful bow before turning to go. Well, that had been ridiculously easy. These cultists weren't nearly as fanatical as Hermann and Tendo kept saying. Maybe they were okay after all… at least these ones seemed to be, he couldn't vouch for the ones that had tried to sabotage Mustang Omega. Maybe Mikhail's group were just more reasonable – after all, you didn't judge all of a religion by the actions of the extremists, right…

He was halfway to the door before a strange gurgle made him turn around… and his heart thudded its way up his throat. Hermann hadn't budged, though judging by the arm wrapped around his midsection and the curved blade at his throat, Newt couldn't blame him.

"Hey!" He hurried forward, arms raised and ready to snatch Hermann to safety. "What the hell, man! Lady, I mean… what the hell?!"

"We want you to help us willingly," Mikhail repeated, her tone as reasonable and pleasant as ever. "And if it takes drastic measures to ensure you are willing, then so be it."

"This is coercion!" Hermann huffed, looking more angry than frightened at being held at knifepoint. "If you wanted us willing, you have an absolutely insane way of going about it!"

"I would hold your tongue if I were you," she advised, and though her voice remained pleasant, the knife pressed harder against Hermann's neck. "Newton, it doesn't have to be this way. All we ask is one more drift. Then you and your friend are perfectly free to go."

"Lady, let him go!" Newt shrieked, his voice shooting up an octave as panic stabbed his gut. "I'll do the drift, just don't freaking hurt him!"

"Newton, have you lost your bloody mind?" demanded Hermann.

"What, you wanna be stabbed?" Newt shot back. "I'm saving your life!"

"And putting everything we worked for at risk in the process!" Hermann snapped.

Mikhail simply smiled and released Hermann, the mathematician staggering away and shaking his head. "I knew you could be reasonable, Dr. Geizler. We will begin momentarily."

"Whatever, just don't stab Hermann." He didn't want to have to explain to Tendo that he'd let one of the programmers of the original Jaegers get shanked when it was in his power to stop it. Even if it did mean another freaking drift…

"You may have gotten Newton's cooperation, madam, but certainly not mine," Hermann informed her, narrowing his eyes. "You need two people for the drift, you realize. And after THAT little stunt you just pulled, you've just lost one willing participant."

Her smile didn't fade… and Newt couldn't help but think the coldness in that smile looked awfully Kaiju-like. "Oh… we will have your cooperation, Dr. Gottlieb." The knife still glittered in her hand, and she idly toyed with the blade as she spoke. "I am sure the Shatterdome knows by now that we have our agents among them… and despite all your best efforts, they remain firmly in place. They've already moved once at our command… and they would not hesitate to strike again should we give the signal. And at this stage, any attack against your Rangers – or your Jaegers – could prove disastrous."

Newt's gut clenched. "You wouldn't dare…"

"Would we?" She cocked her head. "I know you don't want anyone harmed, Newton Geizler… be they Ranger or Jaeger." Her smile took on a wry tilt as Newt gaped at her. "You think we would have agents in place for so long without knowing the truth, Dr. Geizler? We know your precious Jaegers are alive… and it would be a shame if something were to happen to them, wouldn't it?"

Newt felt any last bit of fondness for Mikhail drain out of him at that moment. This chick was _cold._ And worse, she had hit him right in the weak spot – he couldn't stand the thought of someone hurting Cherno or Crimson. Thousands of tons of metal they might be, but they were still just giant kids in his mind. And the thought of them coming to harm somehow was something he didn't even want to consider.

"Words cannot express how much I loathe you at this moment, madam," Hermann snarled.

Mikhail only smiled. "Is that a yes or a no, Dr. Gottlieb?"

"It is a yes under greatest duress," he snapped. "Come, Newton… let's get this over with."

This time there was no ceremony as they donned the Pons headsets. Mikhail waited only long enough to ensure the caps were in place before hitting the switch. It might have been Newt's imagination, but he almost imagined that Mutavore's brain twitched just as the neural handshake was initiated – as if it sensed what was coming and flinching at the very thought of it.

_Rush of memory… voices, images, feelings… a blast of discordant music from a beat-up amplifier… pain radiating across his face from a black eye… gut-twisting nausea from a childhood illness… flashes of glowing blue as Otachi's tongue reached for him like an alien hand…_

_A burst of triumph, almost joy, as a hulking, muscular form was released from its sinewy bonds… the unleashed Kaiju thundering across the ocean floor, delivering a bellow that shook the water for miles around… chittering, squealing cheers from the workers and designers as they watched their handiwork gallop toward the shores of the human city... the sight of other Kaiju restrained not far behind, in various stages of construction, some almost complete and others little more than literally-skeletal frameworks…_

_And looming just behind the Kaiju, a towering coral-like framework that supported a construction of shell and cartilage, a crude mimicry of an all-too-familiar form…_

_GET OUT_

_Splitting pain through both their skulls, threatening to rip them apart… black eyes staring at them with contempt and disgust, outraged that such pale, soft-skinned slugs were intruding on their operation…_

_GET OUT. STAY OUT. DRIFT AGAIN AND WE WILL KILL YOU. THAT IS A PROMISE._

High-pitched screaming filled the room as the neural handshake fizzled apart, and it took Newt a moment to realize it was coming from him. The Pons headset hung from his fingers, and he realized he had ripped it off in his panic to escape the Precursor's threat. Beside him Hermann wobbled unsteadily on his feet, one hand clamping his bleeding nose shut and the other clutching his own headset in a death grip. Mikhail's hands grasped the mathematician's shoulders, steadying him, and he wrenched free with a hissed oath.

"What is it?" she demanded. "You saw something of import…"

"Leatherback 2.0 is coming!" Newt screeched, hurling the headset back onto the table. "They just let it loose, and it's on its way to Hong Kong!"

"For the love of God, don't just blurt it out like that!" Hermann snapped.

"Well, someone's gotta know!" Newt shrieked back. "We gotta call the Shatterdome!"

"You will do no such thing," Mikhail replied calmly. "So the Deep Ones are sending more Messengers… perhaps these ones will be more successful in their endeavors."

"I hardly think so," Hermann replied, and a smug note crept into his voice. "The Shatterdome has already been alerted to the existence of a second Leatherback, and I am sure they've made the necessary preperations. They will have ample warning… and three Jaegers ready to face the monster down."

"Three Jaegers?" Mikhail repeated, head cocking to one side. "Perhaps… but two of those Jaegers are now sentient, and doubtless harbor terrible memories of being crippled and nearly destroyed by the Messenger you call Leatherback. Will they really be so eager to fight the one who traumatized them so? And perhaps your precious Mustang Omega fought off Otachi at one point… but can it do so again, or was it just lucky?" She shrugged and motioned to the acolyte lurking in a corner. "Fetch our strongest brethren and have them escort our guests back to their room. And lock the door. There is much more we must learn from the Deep Ones before they will be permitted to leave."

* * *

Gipsy clung to Cherno as she ventured across the floor of the Jaeger bay, one hesitant step at a time. The Mark I let her lean on him as she walked, crooning encouragement the entire time. She wobbled like a newborn foal on her new legs, but she clung gamely to him and kept walking, determined to get used to her new limbs. Close by, Crimson and Coyote watched the two, both ready to leap to their feet and help should Gipsy lose her balance.

Sasha couldn't help a smile as she watched the two Jaegers make their way across the bay. It was comforting to know that, as brutal and powerful a fighter as Cherno could be, he still had a kind heart beneath the titanium chassis.

Her attention turned to the slim blonde woman who stood at the head of the group of Rangers watching the two Jaegers. Funny… she had always imagined Caitlin Lightcap as a rugged, scarred tomboy of a woman, a warrior inside and out. But despite the lines on her face and the slight silvering of her hair, she was still very attractive and carried herself with an easy grace. Her blue eyes shone with avid curiosity, and an easy smile graced her features. She looked more like a retired actress than a former Ranger.

And yet… there was still a hint of the warrior she had been in her walk and her stance, in the tension in her shoulders as if they still carried the weight of her drivesuit, and in the barest hint of a scar that stood out on her collarbone. All small hints, but still evidence that one of the first Rangers stood in their midst.

"I knew this day would come," Caitlin murmured softly. "I just never thought I'd be alive to see it."

Tendo smirked. "You know, it might have helped the PPDC if the Rangers had just come out and told us that they knew the Jaegers were sentient from the get-go. It could have changed the course of the war… and saved us a lot of destruction and pain."

"Who would have believed us?" asked Caitlin. "Everyone involved believed the Jaegers were nothing more than humanoid tanks, pure killing machines meant to be driven around and then finally discarded when they fell apart or were destroyed in a fight. And we as humans don't take too kindly to anything that challenges our beliefs."

Sasha supposed that was true. "Did you know this would happen when you built Brawler Yukon?"

She shook her head. "No… we simply assumed we were building a machine that would have saved the world. And when I drifted with Sergio, it was simply to save his life and keep the program from failing entirely before it could even get started. I certainly didn't intend to create life."

"So Brawler Yukon was alive?" Hu demanded, wheeling forward to park his wheelchair on her other side. "Every Jaeger was alive, then? Is that what you're telling us?"

"I cannot speak for every Jaeger," Caitlin replied. "If they weren't, they certainly had the potential to be. As for Brawler… he _is_ alive. He never faded out, but lives on today."

Sasha sucked in her breath. One of the oldest Jaegers in the program was sentient as well… what she wouldn't give to meet him. Or her, as the case might be…

"Brawler's in a museum somewhere, isn't he?" Raleigh asked excitedly. "Think there's any way we could bring him here? See if we can't bring him to full mobility like the others?"

"Good luck getting' the museum to part with 'im," Herc muttered. "When a museum gets a Jaeger for display, they don't part with it easy. Hell, we're still tryin' to get the Sydney museum off our backs 'bout Cherno!"

"We have done our best to study the Jaegers," said Mako. "But there is still so much we do not know."

Caitlin smiled slightly. "I've done my own study and theorizing on the Jaegers… and while much of what I have is just educated guesswork, perhaps I can help you fill in some of the gaps."

Aleksis took Sasha's hand and squeezed it tightly. She squeezed back, letting that convey her excitement for her. Anything they could possibly learn about the Jaegers – and about Cherno – was vital, and they craved every scrap of information Dr. Lightcap could offer. If what she had to say could answer their questions and enable them to help Cherno…

"For starters, just how does this happen?" asked Tendo. "How does a machine just suddenly spring to life like this? It's never happened before."

"We've never built machines with such an intimate connection to a human before," Caitlin replied. "With other machines – cars, computers, photocopiers, vacuum cleaners – it's just a matter of pushing buttons or pulling levers. A Jaeger operates by a direct connection with a human mind… and that leaves lasting effects on both the human and the machine. With the Ranger, it forms a bond… and with the Jaeger, it leaves a remnant of soul and sentience, one that grows stronger with time."

Words from what seemed a lifetime ago returned to Sasha – _when we drift with them, we leave an impression of our soul behind. And the Jaegers are responding to that._

"Why are they only moving and communicating now?" asked Herc. "An' at different levels that make no sense? Cherno's th' oldest an' was first active besides Coyote, but thinks like a kid. Crimson's practically a newbuilt but acts like an adult. Coyote's the only one of the four who can talk to someone besides one of her Rangers. What's the deal there?"

"That last one is the easiest to explain," Caitlin admitted. "From what I understand talking to other Rangers – the few willing to talk about their experiences – Jaegers simply find it easier to talk to their Rangers than anyone else. They can learn to reach out to other Rangers, but it's a skill that takes time to learn… and evidently Coyote has discovered it. With any luck, she can pass that on to the other Jaegers." She chewed her lip thoughtfully. "As for the other questions… that's harder. But I do think much of that depends on the Rangers themselves."

"What do you mean?" asked Tendo.

"When Brawler was… new, just a vague feeling of sentience, Sergio and I thought of him as a child. An infant, as it were, which isn't too far off the mark. And since we created him together, however accidentally, we began to think of him as our child. I believe he picked up on that, and so saw himself as our son."

"So it's all in our heads?" asked Raleigh. "Literally?"

"In a way," said Caitlin. "I think a great deal of how their personalities and mental ages are shaped comes from how their Rangers see them. We as humans tend to anthropomorphize anything we work regularly with, from our cars to our pets, and give them names, personalities, and even genders in our minds. In the case of our Jaegers, that tendency had actual consequences, and shaped them into what we believed them to be. The Kaidonovskies saw Cherno Alpha as their son, a strong but kind-hearted child, and that shaped Cherno into what he is today. Likewise, the Weis saw Crimson Typhoon as their brother and as a warrior-scholar, while the Becketts saw Gipsy Danger as a sister and a brave fighter with an adorable streak, and they evolved accordingly."

Sasha watched as Cherno helped Gipsy sit back down in front of the projector screen. "What of the other Jaegers? Do you think there are others that may still be alive?"

Caitlin's eyes clouded over. "I desperately hope so. But Jaegers, like Rangers, can still die if they suffer catastrophic injury. They can take a great amount of damage and still cling to life, but if their computer core is destroyed…" She shook her head. "I've never seen a Jaeger come back from that."

"So there's no saving the ones in Oblivion Bay?" asked Sasha softly.

"It's hard to say," Caitlin replied. "One would have to check their individual cores to be sure. From what I have seen, a Jaeger without a power source will go into a sort of hibernation, lying dormant until they're repowered. It's possible that some of the ones in Oblivion are in that dormant state… but if their Rangers are dead, it could still be too late for them."

"You mean if their Rangers die, they die?" asked Mako, horror suffusing her features. "Then… then Coyote is…"

"Not necessarily," Caitlin assured her. "But it takes repeated neural handshakes with a Ranger for a Jaeger to gain full sentience. Only now, almost twenty years after the first Jaegers were built, are we seeing them finally become aware enough to move on their own. For those in the graveyard who haven't gone that far… if they had any hope of coming as far as these four, we would have to find their Rangers again, or new Rangers that they would accept as replacements. Coyote became self-mobile before losing both her Rangers, but as for the others… we can only hope."

Despite Caitlin's warnings, Sasha couldn't suppress the burst of hope in her gut. Any chance of saving Cherno's brethren, no matter how small, had to be pursued. The Jaegers had done so much for the benefit of mankind. It was time they gave back to them.

"Any sort of Jaeger rescue operation will have to wait," Tendo said. "We need to focus on the four – five – we have before we mount a full-scale recovery operation. We just don't have the resources… and we still have a Kaiju War on our hands. Dr. Geizler warned us that an attack could be coming any day now."

Caitlin nodded. "I'm here to offer whatever help I can. All I ask is that, once financial matters improve, you help me bring Brawler Yukon here. He's been retired for far too long."

Tendo frowned, but nodded. "I have absolutely no idea when – or if – finances will ever improve enough to ensure that. But if it happens, Brawler will be the first Jaeger we bring here and restore."

"That's all I ask," Caitlin replied with a smile. "But Tendo… you said five. I thought Striker Eureka was destroyed."

"He's talking about the Mark VI," Raleigh replied, looking pained that he even had to mention the new Jaeger. "Mustang Omega."

"Oh?" Caitlin's eyes shone with curiosity. "I'd heard the news stories about him. How's he coming along? Showing any signs?" She glanced about the bay. "Come to think of it, where are his Rangers? I thought they would be here with their Jaeger."

Herc rolled his eyes. "Probably off in their quarters playin' video games or somethin'. Mustang ain't shown signs of sentience. An' those two wouldn't care if he did. To them he's just a big fancy toy."

"I still think it's from the R/C Conn Pod," Jin muttered. "It's just not right! A Ranger's gotta be fighting out there with his Jaeger!"

Caitlin shook her head. "I don't think that's the issue… though I do admit, having a remote control Conn Pod does seem like it's cheating."

"Then what do you think is the issue?" asked Tendo.

"The Rangers themselves," she replied. "Just as Cherno, Crimson, Gipsy, and Coyote have been shaped by their Rangers' expectations of them, so Mustang's been shaped by his own Rangers' expectations… or in this case, the lack thereof. If they see him as just another weapon – or as Marshal Hansen put it, a 'big fancy toy' – then it stands to reason that he would be nothing else for them. He would take orders, but have no personality, will, or sentience to speak of."

"So he's a zombie?" asked Hu.

"I wouldn't put it that way," Caitlin replied. "More like perpetually trapped in the infant stage. The potential to develop further is there, but unless his Rangers change their perception of him, he will never be anything more."

That made sense… and for the first time, Sasha found her heart aching for Mustang Omega. She had resented the Mark VI at first, and even despised him for his lack of sentience, but now that they knew it was through no fault of his own, she regretted dismissing him so out of hand. If only they could change the Rossis' mind regarding him…

Claxon alarms sounded before she could continue that line of thought. Every Jaeger and Ranger tensed at the sound, knowing full well what was coming next.

"Bailey!" Tendo shouted into his comm unit.

"Kaiju approaching Hong Kong!" she replied via the LOCCENT loudspeaker. "Category IV, not as fast as Otachi… I'm going to guess this is the Leatherback clone Dr. Geizler and Dr. Gottlieb warned us about!"

Herc nodded sharply. "Get the Rossis to Mustang Omega's Conn Pod! Tell 'em to be ready to switch over to analog at a moment's notice!" He turned to the Wei triplets. "Crimson nearly got killed by Leatherback… think he'll be able to take 'im on again?"

Cheung's eyes went out of focus briefly as he communicated with the Mark IV. From across the bay, Crimson gave a solemn nod of his head, and Cheung nodded back before speaking again.

"He'll go out and fight, sir," he replied.

"Good. I want 'im providing backup for Mustang. An' for God's sake, if Leatherback looks to be using its EMP attack again, tell 'im to run like hell! We're not losin' 'im again!"

"He says he'll aim for the EMP organ first thing," Hu piped up. "Take it out before it becomes a problem."

"Smart thinkin'." Herc nodded again. "'Bout time we had a fighter usin' their brains out there, even if it's the Jaeger doin' it…"

Cherno's presence nudged at Sasha's mind, and she turned to find him looking at her expectantly.

_Mama… I want to go out and fight._

_Cherno… are you sure? Remember the last time, with the second Otachi…_

_I know. But… but I think I can do better this time. And if Crimson can fight despite being afraid – even if he won't admit it – I can too. I won't let you down again… I promise._

_Just be careful. We don't want to lose you._

_You won't. I'm very hard to lose._

She had to smile at that. "Marshal, Cherno wishes to fight as well."

"He's stayin' behind," Herc replied flatly. "After his last encounter went bust-"

"He promises it won't happen again. And he is analog – should something happen to Crimson, he would still be able to help Mustang."

Herc scowled. "I don't like it. Last time we got lucky, but if his nerve fails 'im this time-"

"Hercules, give him a chance," Caitlin advised. "He deserves a second chance."

"And like it or not, Sasha has a point," Tendo added. "We can't take any chances, and if Crimson fails somehow, Cherno's our best backup." He nodded. "Cherno, get ready to go out. Gipsy, Coyote, you're staying behind. Neither of you are in any shape to fight yet."

Gipsy gave a coo of relief, while Coyote grumbled unhappily and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Crimson, Cherno, move out!" Tendo shouted. "Rossis, get suited up and to the Conn Pod! Leatherback II is set to make landfall – let's stop him in his tracks!"


	21. Jaeger vs Jaeger

" _Coyote, do you hear me?"_

_That was a rhetorical question – Stacker Pentecost knew there was no way Coyote Tango could hear his words. She had no way of picking up audio, and though she had an uncanny ability to feel vibrations, the faint ripples his voice made in the air were too weak for her to sense. It was like asking a whale if they could launch themselves into the air and take flight._

_But Coyote sent back an affirmative pulse anyhow. She "heard" him. She was deaf to his voice, but she could sense the thoughts that formed the words milliseconds before they left his mouth. Despite her blind/deaf state, she could understand him._

_Stacker allowed himself a smile as he looked up at Coyote, the Mark I crouched over him like a child studying an insect. Even hunkered down like this, she towered over him, and both of them knew that all it would take was a single careless movement on her part to destroy him. But he feared no such thing – she was far too careful, and would rather tear out her own core than willingly harm her Ranger._

" _Status report," he requested._

 _Coyote tilted her Conn Pod to one side, making a quick tally before responding._ Fourteen attempted minor break-ins, mostly by vandals and Jaeger enthusiasts wanting a souvenir. Two attempts major break-ins by scrap-metal vendors. One attempt by PDCC officials to remove chassis of Matador Fury for raw materials to build the Wall.

" _How many of these attempts were successful?"_

 _Her tone was smug as she responded._ Zero. Scared off most. Actively chased a few.

" _You allowed yourself to be seen? Do you realize how dangerous that could be?"_

 _Her mental tone could best be described as a gleeful chuckle._ Who will believe them?

_He had to concede that point. "Well done, Coyote Tango. You've done exemplary work here."_

_There was so much else he wanted to say to her. He wanted to tell her that he missed her, that he was so proud of the work she had done to preserve her kind, that Mako was shaping up to be a fine young woman and that she reminded him a great deal of Coyote. His dignity and professionalism kept him from saying it aloud… but Coyote could read his heart, and though she didn't embarrass him by acknowledging all those things he couldn't say, she glowed with pleasure at being able to sense them._

" _Coyote Tango… I'm going to be gone for a while."_

How long is a while?

" _I don't know. Perhaps a year, perhaps longer. I don't know when I'll return."_

 _Surprise, sadness… a soft whine of dismay._ Why?

" _I'm needed in Hong Kong. We are gathering our forces for one final attack… an attack that can close the Breach forever. They need a leader… and since the leaders of the PPDC have elected to bury their heads in the sand, someone needs to step in and take up the banner in their stead."_

And that someone is you?

" _There's no one else fit for the job. We're gathering the last operable Jaegers and moving out."_

Let me come with you.

" _No, Coyote. I need you to stay here, where it's safe for you. You have a mission, remember?"_

Let me come with you, _she repeated, keening softly._ You need every Jaeger you can get. I want to fight with you. Please… don't leave me here.

_Pentecost stepped forward and gently laid a hand on her ankle. His touch was infinitely light, barely more than a tickle, but a shudder moved through Coyote's frame anyhow._

" _I wish it were possible, Coyote… but the world is not ready for you. The PPDC cannot know that you and your kind live yet. They will have you destroyed if they found out. No… we need time. Once this war is over, perhaps… but until then you need to stay here. Guard the bodies of the fallen, that they may return when the time is right… or that they may help the others return."_

 _Coyote keened again, but nodded, keeping a firm grip on her disappointment._ Are any of the others close to full sentience?

" _I do not know… but I suspect Cherno Alpha will be the first to move under his own power. His bond with his Rangers is stronger than any I've ever seen, and he's among the oldest. If any make that final leap to sentience, it will be him."_

 _She nodded._ Promise me, Stacker, that should Cherno become fully sentient before the strike on the Breach, you'll let me come to the Shatterdome.

" _I doubt that will happen… but I promise." He patted her ankle gently. "I will miss you. But I will return as soon as I can."_

And I will hold you to that. Fight well, Stacker… Father. I'll be waiting for you.

_He nodded in reply, and turned to go. Coyote waited until the faint vibrations of his footfalls had faded, then moved deeper into the graveyard, seeking out her usual hiding place._

_Pentecost would never live to see his promise fulfilled… and all of Oblivion Bay shook with eerie, grief-stricken cries the moment Striker Eureka detonated his fatal payload at the bottom of the Pacific._

* * *

Cherno Alpha, Crimson Typhoon, and Mustang Omega stood in a triangular formation in the knee-deep waters of the Hong Kong harbor, Mustang at the forefront and Crimson and Cherno flanking him on either side. Rain poured down from an ominously starless sky, slicking their plating to a high gloss. Blue-black water churned about their legs, waves slapping against their thighs as if trying to pull them under. Behind them, Hong Kong glowed in a dazzling spread of light and color, seemingly oblivious to the oncoming threat; ahead, darkness brewed, interrupted only by a faint sapphire light as the second Leatherback approached the coast, murder on its reptilian brain.

Cherno shivered, both from sudden fear and a vain attempt to shake some excess water from his joints. This night was far too similar to the night of the double event for his liking. The storm, the city behind him, the oncoming clone of Leatherback… even the three Jaegers poised to stop the attack at all costs. Knowing that Leatherback was alone was some small comfort, and he clung to that as best he could.

"Mustang, you're to take out Leatherback as soon as possible," Tendo ordered. "Aim for the EMP organ right off if you can. Crimson, Cherno, back the Rossis up as best you can. And for God's sake, don't let that thing make landfall!"

Crimson's response was a burst of information that would appear as English letters on the LOCCENT's readout screen – COPY, TENDO CHOI.

COPY Cherno echoed.

"We really don't need backup for this," said Lance. "We got this. You can call Crimson and Cherno back if you think this is gonna be too much for them."

Anger burned through Cherno's anxiety, and his engines snarled in response. Herc cut in before he could fire off a retort, though.

"You worry 'bout your own damn Jaeger and let us worry 'bout the others, Rossi," he barked. "Here he comes! Watch 'im close – don't know what tricks this bugger's gonna have up his sleeves."

Cherno shook himself again, trying to clear his processor. He spread his legs and arms in a wrestler's stance, keeping his visual receptors locked on the submerged blue light that surged toward them. Crimson raised both right hands, fingers hooked slightly, left hand at waist level with the palm flat. Mustang just raised both fists like a boxer, shifting restlessly from foot to foot as it awaited the Kaiju's approach.

Another voice sounded over the radio feed – Sasha's. "You can do this, Cherno Alpha. You are strong. And you are not alone. We are with you all the way, even if we are not in your Conn Pod."

He pulsed his gratitude back, though privately he feared that it wouldn't be that easy. Already fear was congealing in his internals, and he worried that he would freeze as soon as Leatherback surfaced, that the memories would be too much…

Crimson sent out another information burst, this one directed to pass through the LOCCENT and appear as a text readout in the Rossi's cockpit. BRACE YOUR LEGS, MUSTANG. THE KAIJU WILL AIM TO KNOCK YOU OVER FIRST THING. IF YOU FALL DOWN AT THE BEGINNING OF A FIGHT, IT'S OVER. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO KEEP ON YOUR FEET AS BEST YOU CAN.

"We got this," Lexie replied. "We aren't complete newbies, you know. We already got a kill under our belts."

Crimson turned his Conn Pod to give Cherno a look. _Are these two for real?_

Before Cherno could reply, Leatherback surfaced. He breached like a whale, launching himself out of the water with a titanic roar, fists raised over his head to pummel whatever was unlucky enough to be closest to him. Mustang backpedaled a few steps, and the Kaiju's blow fell short of its goal, slamming into the water just in front of him and sending another wave crashing against the black Jaeger's front.

"Ugly bastard," Lance muttered.

"Since when was there ever a pretty Kaiju?" asked Lexie.

Leatherback pushed himself to his feet and squinted at the three Jaegers through the pouring rain. He growled low in his throat as if confused – did the Kaiju hive mind somehow allow him to recognize Cherno and Crimson? Did he somehow understand that his predecessor had aided in their near-destruction months ago, and did their appearance now puzzle him?

 _He's confused,_ Cherno told Crimson. _If we are going to take him out, now is the time!_

Crimson bobbed his Conn Pod in response and translated for Cherno. MUSTANG, LEATHERBACK IS CONFUSED. THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO STRIKE.

"Shut up, we've got this," Lance snapped as Mustang raised his arms, twin blades sliding out from their hidden sheaths. The titanium alloy gleamed wetly in the blue-tinged light, and Cherno couldn't help a quick burst of envy. If he requested it, could he be granted a weapon like that – something like those blades or Crimson's saws or Gipsy's chain sword?

AIM FOR THE HEAD Crimson advised. THAT BLUE SPOT AT THE TOP OF THE SKULL, NEAR THE BACK. THAT'S THE EMP CENTER – IT HAS TO BE DESTROYED FIRST. TRY TO STAY OUT OF HIS REACH – HE'S STRONG, BUT SLOW. USE THAT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.

"Shut up, Cyclops!" Lexie demanded.

I'VE FOUGHT THIS KAIJU BEFORE Crimson pointed out, the text readout unable to convey the mounting irritation Cherno could feel coming from him. I KNOW A FEW TRICKS.

"Yeah," Lexie replied snidely. "Fought it and got owned by it. Why don't you stand aside and let a Jaeger that's not obsolete handle this?"

Cherno squealed in angry shock. Crimson just stared, appalled.

"Shut your damn mouth an' just fight the thing, Rossi!" Herc ordered. "The hell are you waitin' for, Christmas?"

"For Crimson to shut up and let us handle this!" Lexie shot back.

JUST GIVING ADVICE Crimson protested.

"Less talk from all of you, more action!" Herc snapped. "Take that bugger down!"

Leatherback seemed to shake off his confusion at that moment, and he lunged forward, aiming to grab Mustang. Mustang swung an arm blade, the edge grazing the simian Kaiju's shoulder, and he shied back. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he made a few more half-hearted strikes, each time repelled by the swinging blades. Privately Cherno wondered just what Leatherback was up to – this wasn't normal behavior for a Kaiju. Usually they simply charged mindlessly into a fight, heedless of their own injuries, preferring a full-on assault to any sort of self-preservation…

HE'S TESTING YOU Crimson warned. TRYING TO GAUGE YOUR REACH AND YOUR ABILITIES. THE LONGER YOU FIGHT HIM, THE SMARTER HE AND THOSE CONTROLLING HIM WILL BECOME. EITHER KILL HIM OR TAKE OUT HIS EMP ORGAN NOW.

"Since when did YOU become Marshal?" Lance demanded.

HE'S JUST TRYING TO HELP! Cherno protested.

"You know how you both can help?" Lexie sneered. "You can both go to Oblivion Bay where you frickin' belong! Shut the hell up and let us fight!"

"Don't you DARE talk to Cherno like that!" Alexis bellowed.

"Everyone just shut up!" Herc roared. "Stop actin' like brats an' kill that Kaiju!"

Cherno raised his fists and stepped forward… but staggered back as a metallic arm struck him in the chest. A sharp pain flooded his sensors, and his readouts flashed a warning – his hull had been breached, exposing wiring to the air and rain. The damage wasn't critical, but it left him reeling all the same.

"Rossi!" Cherno had never heard Herc so angry before.

"Cherno!" Sasha shouted. "Are you all right?"

 _I'm fine,_ he replied dazedly, though they both knew that was a lie. It wasn't the wound – it was little more than a cut – but the knowledge that another Jaeger had struck him in anger that left him numb with shock. This was different than being attacked by Crimson or Coyote – this was a deliberate attack, and to know another Jaeger, another set of Rangers, had struck him with intent to hurt…

Crimson's right arms clamped onto Mustang's shoulders, yanking the black Jaeger back. His text readout couldn't shift to display emotion, but the hissing thrum of his engines conveyed his fury all the same.

WHAT DID CHERNO DO TO YOU?

"This is our fight, scrapheap!" Lexie screeched. "Get out of our way!"

THIS ISN'T ABOUT GLORY FOR YOU Crimson shot back, the hiss intensifying. THIS IS TO PROTECT A CITY. A NATION. THE WORLD. WHO STRIKES THE FATAL BLOW DOESN'T MATTER – ALL THAT MATTERS IS STOPPING LEATHERBACK FROM DESTROYING HONG KONG. WE FIGHT TOGETHER, YOU ARROGANT CHILDREN. DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?

Mustang lunged, both fists striking Crimson in the chest. The Mark IV reeled back, arms flailing, only for Mustang to strike again, sending Crimson toppling beneath the waves. He barely had time to push himself to his hands and knees before the black Jaeger tackled him, arms wrapped around him and trying to drag him back down again.

"Rossi!" Herc's voice was blistering with rage. "Goddammit, cut the neural handshake on the RC pod! The Rossis have gone way too far!"

More angry and frantic chatter filled the connection with the LOCCENT, but Cherno was past hearing it by now. He could only stare in horror as Crimson and Mustang grappled in the water, the former trying to throw his opponent off and the latter with arm blades still armed and threatening to take off limbs or pierce armor. This was wrong, this was all wrong! The Jaegers were supposed to protect humankind, not fight each other!

Slate-gray shifting against black caught his visual sensors, and he turned to see Leatherback stalking toward the city, giving the Jaegers a wide berth. The Kaiju might not understand what was going on, but he wasn't stupid – he was going to take full advantage of this situation.

At that, the horror and confusion drained out of Cherno, replaced by grim determination. Crimson and Mustang were in no position to stop Leatherback… and he was the only thing standing between it and millions of innocent lives. It was up to him to destroy the Kaiju before it made landfall.

With a thundering roar of his engines he charged, fists raised, spray wreathing him as he plunged through the waves. Before Leatherback even had time to turn around he had struck, one fist smashing into the back of his head. Bone cracked under his knuckles, and cyan-colored blood ran down the beast's back as the blow crushed several tendrils of his EMP organ.

The Kaiju screamed, twisting around to return the blow. Metal buckled under his fist, and Cherno staggered back a few steps, but he was oblivious to the pain. Again and again he struck, fists wrapped tightly around the "Roll of Nickels" cylinders, each blow snapping bones and tearing hide. Leatherback got in a few blows of his own, leaving deep dents in Cherno's armor, and once he managed to hook his fingers beneath a plate of armor on his torso and tear it off. Wiring hissed and sparked in the rain, and his damage readout screamed a warning, but he ignored it.

Leatherback finally raised both hands at once, shoving Cherno back several steps. Cherno tilted forward to regain his balance, foot spikes digging into the sea floor to anchor himself. He knew full well what Leatherback was about to do – he hadn't seen it himself, but Gipsy had related it in tones of dread. The Kaiju wanted a few stolen moments to arm his EMP weapon… a weapon that would leave Crimson and a huge swath of Hong Kong defenseless.

 _No!_ Cherno lunged forward, hoping beyond hope that he was fast enough for this. One step… two… reach…

Leatherback squealed as massive fingers tangled in his EMP organ. The crackling energy that had been building up in his skull jolted Cherno's arm, but he didn't relax his grip.

 _For Mama,_ he said coldly, and gave a brutal yank, ripping the organ out by the roots.

The Kaiju's tortured scream echoed across the water and rolled across the city. He stumbled backwards, shaking his head like a dog that had just been stung by a bee. Bright blue ichor poured down his face and skull, making his horrific face even more of a nightmare to behold.

Cherno closed the gap between them and raised the dripping organ in his fist. _For Papa._ And he rammed it into Leatherback's open, screeching mouth.

The Kaiju gagged, residual energy from the organ sending painful shocks through his mouth and down his throat. He doubled over and tried to cough up the obstruction.

Cherno grabbed Leatherback's chin and pulled his head up, forcing him to look him in the Conn Pod. _For Crimson… for Striker… for Gipsy… for all my kind! Dasvidaniya!_

The final blow crackled with energy from Cherno's Tesla coils, but it wasn't the electricity that dealt the fatal blow. Leatherback took the punch directly in the face, bones crunching to rubble, fragments of skull driving into his brain and cutting it to pieces. His body thrashed, hands scrabbling at the Mark I's armor, but he was already dying, the rain of blows Cherno continued to unleash on him doing little more than pulp his flesh and internal organs.

Finally Cherno pulled back, fists dripping with ichor, frame shuddering as he tried to rein in his anger and battle-lust. His readouts blared with warnings – he was overheating, wiring had shorted out from exposure to the elements, and there was a low-level leak in his hydraulic system – but he was too on edge from the recent kill to pay much attention.

"Cherno! Cherno Alpha, can you hear us?"

He shook again, then sent back a reply. I HEAR YOU.

"You've taken damage," Tendo replied. "How do you feel?"

I AM… He had to pause a moment and take stock of himself. I AM WELL. BETTER THAN I EXPECTED. That wasn't a lie – it had been far too long since he'd had a successful battle, and he had almost forgotten how sweet the taste of victory could be. To finally take on a Kaiju again – and win – made his systems sing with ecstasy. This was what he had been built for…

"Well done, Cherno," Tendo told him, not bothering to mask the pride in his voice. "Your performance was exemplary! Come on home and we'll get you repaired."

WHAT ABOUT CRIMSON? The horror returned, and he whirled to face the other two Jaegers. In the heat of the battle he had forgotten about Crimson and Mustang entirely!

"We're taking care of that… just get on back to the Shatterdome. Technicians will be with you shortly."

The LOCCENT's method of "taking care of that" had evidently been drastic. Crimson was back on his feet, sporting myriad scratches and an ugly rent in his chest armor. He waded back toward the Shatterdome, the limp and darkened form of Mustang Omega draped over one shoulder. The red Jaeger didn't seem badly damaged, but he simmered with anger… and a hatred that made Cherno recoil instinctively.

 _I'm fine,_ Crimson lied. _So is Mustang. They shut him down remotely._

_Crimson…_

_I don't want to talk about it right now. Let's just get home. The Marshals will sort this out._ His engines snorted. _If they have any sense, they'll have the Rossis tossed out on their backsides immediately. By Lightcap, I've never seen such egomania in a Ranger before._

Despite the insanity of the entire situation – the cloned Kaiju, the Jaeger battle, everything – Cherno couldn't help a mental chuckle as he hurried over to help Crimson carry the offline Mustang.

_What's so funny?_

_By Lightcap? Where did you come up with that?_

_Well…_ Embarrassment colored Crimson's tone. _The humans have curse words based on their deities – they like to believe they were created by a higher power. Since Lightcap created us, I thought it was appropriate._

_I guess so… but I don't think she'd be too happy that we're thanking her for life by using her name as a swear word._

_I suppose that's true… but at the moment it's the least of our worries. Let's get home… we both need repairs, and the humans have a mess to clean up._

* * *

To say that Coyote was upset at hearing that Mustang had attacked Cherno and Crimson – and that the Rossis would not be discharged from their duties despite that – was an understatement. The gray Jaeger snarled, a low rumbling that every human present could feel in their bones, and clenched her fists, sending the technicians trying to repair her damaged foot scattering in panic. Her anger flooded the room like radiation from a leaking reactor, and her words touched every mind in the hangar, making those unused to the Jaegers' mindspeech recoil.

_I will make them pay!_

_No!_ Cherno reached up and clamped her shoulder, trying to pull her back. _We're not supposed to hurt humans!_

 _Never said anything about HURTING them,_ Coyote pointed out, though there was a nasty edge to her "voice" that made Aleksis wince. _Put a good scare in them, though. Make them think twice about insulting or attacking a Jaeger._

"The Rossis are facing disciplinary action," Tendo informed her – if he had been spooked or intimidated at all by her show of rage, he didn't show it. "But like it or not, we still need them."

"Why?" demanded Raleigh with a scowl. "They've already proved that they have zero respect for the Jaegers – their own or any others. Hell, they just attacked two of them for no reason!"

Aleksis nodded, and chose that moment to make himself heard. "Cherno or Crimson could have been killed. And even if not… they let the Kaiju get past them. Had it not been for Cherno, the city would have been destroyed."

Cherno had been hovering at Coyote's side, fretting over her display of temper, but at that he drew himself up with pride, crooning happily. Aleksis kept his expression neutral but spared the Jaeger a wink. Cherno had done well – he had not only conquered his fear, but he had single-handedly taken down a Category IV Kaiju. Despite this current fiasco with Mustang's Rangers, he wasn't about to let anyone forget that, and he felt the older Jaeger deserved to bask a bit in his victory.

"I know that, Kaidonovsky," Tendo replied. "And we're not about to forget that, either. But Dr. Lightcap has convinced us to give the Rossis one last chance. She's hoping she can get through to them, and teach them to have the proper respect for the Jaegers. It's her hope that if she can educate them, they'll treat Mustang like a team member and not just a weapon… and we may see some development from him. Until then, they'll be on strict probation, and Marshal Hansen is going to be keeping a close eye on them to ensure this doesn't happen again."

Hu whistled. "Hate to see what kinda personality Mustang'll get with those two…"

"Enough," Tendo told him. "Let us handle the Rossis. All of you focus on getting your Jaegers battle-ready again. That goes for Gipsy and Coyote too. Because we don't know when the next Kaiju will make landfall, and we need to be prepared for an attack at any time." He turned and walked off, reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose as he went.

Raleigh sighed. "Poor guy… he's got so much on his plate right now. I almost feel bad for snapping at him."

"I still do not agree with him," Sasha snapped, walking up at that moment. "They were only pests before. Now they are dangerous. They hurt Cherno and Crimson once – what is to stop them from doing it again?"

Gipsy keened softly at that moment, and Raleigh nodded in her direction before translating.

"Gipsy says that a lot of people here have gotten a second chance – herself, me, Mako, Cherno and his parents, even Coyote in a way. If they get a reprieve, shouldn't the Rossis?" He made a face at that. "Not that I agree with that sentiment…"

The blue Jaeger gave a huff of expelled air and made a poking motion at Raleigh. She didn't even come close to connecting, but he recoiled anyhow.

"Hey, I may be your Ranger, but I can still disagree with you!"

"Crimson says he doesn't agree either," Cheung put in, "but that we should probably drop it for now. We've got more important things to worry about. Like the Kaiju and the new Breach and that underwater base the Precursors have supposedly got. He wants to know if we're any closer to finding it."

Aleksis shrugged, though privately he was grateful for the change in subject. It was saying something when the Rossis could irritate and anger people without even being present.

Mako had been silent up until that point, but she spoke up at that. "We have found nothing yet. But Tendo thinks it might be close to the old Breach."

"That would make sense," Raleigh replied. "We kind of blew up all the sensors there along with the old Breach. It's a big blind spot, so of course they'd set up camp there."

"Tendo wants to be sure before we plan an attack," Mako explained. "It is hard, though, without our scientists to help us."

Sasha frowned. "I have not seen Dr. Geizler or Dr. Gottlieb in a long time. Do they not work here anymore?"

Mako shook her head. "Tendo sent them away."

Aleksis frowned as well. Dismissing their scientific team when they still had a war to fight? That made no sense. Unless the Shatterdome's money woes were far worse than he realized…

"He did not terminate them," Mako went on. "He won't tell me details, but he gave them a mission elsewhere. But… he is worried. He has not heard from them in a few days."

"You don't think something happened to them, do you?" asked Jin. "I sure hope not. I liked those guys."

Cherno shifted and gave a soft keen of worry of his own. Aleksis made his way toward the Mark I to give him a reassuring pat, though he couldn't help but share his worry. A continuation of the Kaiju War, Jaegers attacking other Jaegers, their most valuable scientists gone missing… how much more insanity could the Shatterdome take?

* * *

Tendo would have loved nothing more than to collapse in his chair upon coming back to his office… but someone else was occupying his seat.

"Well, don't you look like hell, buddy."

He halted in his tracks, squeezing his eyes shut a moment in the hopes that what he was seeing was just a trick of his tired, overworked mind. It didn't work – the man still sat there, leaning back in his chair with his ridiculously shiny shoes propped up on the desk. In one hand he carried a flask of some expensive-looking liquor; the other lay atop the dog in his lap, kneading the loose skin on the back of his neck. Bruno looked entirely content with the arrangement, obviously not caring whose lap he was occupying so long as they gave good scratches.

"How did you get in here?"

Hannibal laughed and tossed back a drink. "Money talks, Tendo. Few dollars here, the promise of a dose of Kaiju bone powder to a stupid guard there, and boom, I'm in. You really gotta tighten security in this joint, pal." He scooped Bruno out of his lap and set him on the floor, then swung his legs down from the desktop. "You look like you could use a drink. I don't normally share my good stuff, but you look like you need this more than I do."

Tendo waved away the proffered flask. "However you got in, get out. This is a restricted area."

Hannibal snorted. "Don't give me that crap. Like it or not, you need my help."

"I would think we'd be your biggest competition," Tendo retorted. "If we win the Kaiju War, there goes your business."

"Nah." Hannibal shook his head. "I ain't worried. You guys didn't get the job done right the first time, so who's to say you'll get it done right this time? Besides, IF you guys win – and that's a really big IF there – I still got a few years before I run completely out of product." He tossed back another drink. "Beyond that… I'm flexible. I ran guns before getting into the Kaiju-bits business. First rule of business is that you learn to adapt with the times, or go extinct."

Tendo supposed Hannibal was trying to make some kind of point with that last sentence, but decided to let it slide. "What's in this for you? Why are you helping us?"

"Well, it sure ain't out of the goodness of my heart. Let's just say we have a common enemy." He scowled. "That little sabotage of your new Jaeger made the news… and I'm pretty damn sure that the people behind THAT are also the people behind my last shipment of goods getting firebombed before it could make it out of the city."

"The Cultists." That made sense – given that Hannibal Chau made his living and more from the very creatures the cult worshiped, of course they would have no love to spare for him. "We have our own agents inside the cult, providing us with information. With any luck, we can prevent them from attacking the Shatterdome again."

"I figured as much," Hannibal noted, a note of disgust in his voice. "And how you lucked out with that I dunno – been trying to get a plant in there for years and they always root 'em out. So… deal, then. I help you, you help me by passing on whatever dirt on the cult your agents dig up. Sooner we can get them off our backs, the better."

"How do you propose to help us? We're not asking for another loan."

Hannibal cackled. "What, suddenly you don't want my money? Didn't stop you before, and besides, you guys need it. But no, that's not what I was talking about." He pulled a sheaf of paper from inside his suit jacket and slapped it down on top of the desk.

Tendo pulled the paper closer… then pushed it away with a sigh. "It's a tabloid. That's very little help to us unless you're trying to keep us updated on the anti-Jaeger gossip."

"C'mon, Tendo, I know you're smarter than that." Hannibal reached out and flipped the newspaper open, then jabbed a finger against one article in particular. "That one."

Against his better judgment, he leaned in to scan the headline – EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH HIGH PRIEST OF JAEGER CULT ON PACIFIC ISLAND.

"Kinda funny, ain't it?" Hannibal noted with a grin. "It's not just the Kaiju who get their own set of fanatics. Maybe you guys should recruit your new Rangers from there, eh?"

"If you came here just to make fun of us…"

"The picture, Tendo!" the Kaiju-czar insisted, giving him a disgusted look. "Look at the picture! Goddammit, I swear this job has made you dumber…"

"You do realize most of the pictures in these papers are Photoshopped," Tendo pointed out, though he peered at the photo anyhow. Contrary to what he'd just said, this picture didn't look digitally manipulated at all. It showed what appeared to be a serene, picturesque island village... with a huge metallic shape looming over the thatch-and-bark buildings like a crashed alien ship. The thing was so draped in flowers, seashells, and palm fronds that the dun-colored alloy was only visible in patches, but the general shape – rounded off at the aft, harshly angular at the fore – made his heart nearly stop.

"That's a Jaeger Conn Pod," he realized. "It's…" It was impossible, wasn't it? This Jaeger had been utterly destroyed! Yet Gipsy had been assumed lost and had come back… had this Jaeger pulled off a similar miracle?

"Don't look at the Conn Pod," Hannibal suggested. "Look at the white guy. The one off to the right of the picture."

If seeing Striker Eureka's Conn Pod was enough to nearly stop his heart, seeing the man Hannibal referred to nearly finished the job. Despite the deep tan and the angry red scars marking the young man's chest and abdomen, there was no mistaking that expression – angry and sullen, but at the same time cocky and self-sure. An expression that matched his father's, no matter what the elder would say, and a set to the shoulders that suggested a Ranger…

"Holy shit… its Chuck Hansen." How was this even possible…

Hannibal smirked. "I'd suggest you get a boat or a plane out there, before the news crews beat you there. An' keep me posted, all right? This looks like it could be real interesting."


	22. Gods and Monsters

_Despite the defeat of two Kaiju – and the loss of two Jaegers and their Rangers – there was time to neither celebrate nor mourn. Never had the stakes for the war been higher… and with only two Jaegers remaining to lead the assault on the Breach, never had circumstances been so desperate. Repairs on Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka were well underway, and Pentecost and Tendo scrambled to find a replacement for Strikers' wounded Ranger. Any tears shed over Team Crimson and Team Cherno were shed quietly, or simply held back for a quieter moment._

_Through all fuss and preparation for the final strike, Gipsy and Striker stood in silent vigil. Neither Jaeger made to contact the other, each lost in their own private thoughts. A few of the more seasoned technicians and maintenance workers noted the change – usually both Jaegers were quite "vocal," their engines crooning or growling almost constantly, so this sudden quiet on both their parts was baffling._

_Finally Striker broke the silence, engines coughing, his "nudge" toward Gipsy oddly subdued for his arrogant nature. Gipsy shook herself out of her apprehensive funk and turned her attention to the Mark V. What did he want?_

_The dun Jaeger coughed again, his presence colored with an emotion that could best be described as an embarrassed blush. She had done well out there… better than he'd expected. And he supposed he should be thankful to her for saving him and his Rangers. If she hadn't come when she had, he would have been torn to pieces._

_Gipsy crooned softly in response. It was nothing, really. She had simply done what any Jaeger would have done – responded to a threat, and protected both a city and a fellow Jaeger. She only regretted that she couldn't be there to save Crimson and Cherno._

_At the mention of the Mark IV and Mark I, both Jaegers fell silent again. The enormity of what had just happened was finally sinking in. With the loss of Crimson and Cherno, they were now the last of their kind. And the fate of an entire world now rested on their shoulders. It was a sobering thought, one that hung over their heads like a storm cloud._

_Striker huffed, and had he possessed the ability to control his own limbs he might have shuffled from foot to foot in awkward fidgeting. It dented his pride far worse than Leatherback could dent his chassis to admit it, but he owed her an apology. He'd insulted both her and her Rangers, and given that she'd had every right to let the Kaiju take a piece out of him…_

_Gipsy cut him off with a sharp growl. No… no Jaeger deserved to be destroyed by the Kaiju. Not even one as rude and narcissistic as Striker. She would not have let him be taken apart. It was as he had said after her failed drift – the last of the Jaegers had to stick together. And if that meant putting aside old grudges and old insults, then so be it._

_Striker hummed in response. She was a good fighter, he noted, and both she and her Rangers were some of the most resourceful warriors out there. Even he could admit that he could learn a few things from her._

_Her engines sputtered in a laugh. Maybe he should pay attention to what an older Jaeger had to say every so often. He just might learn something._

_He snarled in response, though more jokingly than in irritation. She wasn't THAT much older than him. And besides, she might have seniority on him, but he still had the higher kill count, even taking Leatherback and Otachi into account. Maybe she could learn a few things from HIM._

_Not that there would be much more time to learn anything, they both knew. The attack on the Breach – their final battle – loomed ahead, and beyond that… who knew what lay in store for them? Best to focus on the now, on the moment, and not speculate further._

_In those final stolen moments before Operation Pitfall went into full effect, Striker and Gipsy continued to talk, exchanging stories and friendly jabs, establishing a bond between them – perhaps not quite the same bond of friendship she had enjoyed with Cherno and Crimson, but a bond nonetheless. It was too short a time for both of them, but they would take whatever they could get._

* * *

The _Ao Kuang_ had dropped anchor a few miles from the island, a large atoll on the outskirts of the Polynesian islands. From there, Crimson Typhoon waded the rest of the way to shore, cupping a "welcoming committee" consisting of Tendo Choi, Hercules Hansen, and Caitlin Lightcap in his hands. It had been decided that the best way to convince the natives to part with Striker Eureka's remains was through a Jaeger – who better to make the request than one of the titanic mecha that they supposedly worshiped.

Cherno had wanted to come, but Crimson had insisted he be the one to make this journey. He was curious about the possibility of a Jaeger cult… and just a little jealous that Cherno had been the one to bring Coyote home. It was his turn, he reasoned, to retrieve one of their own, even if it was only a lifeless Conn Pod.

Or not so lifeless, perhaps. For the closer the _Ao Kuang_ got to the island, the more a familiar presence grew in the back of Hercules' mind. He tried his hardest to ignore it, to control the excited trembling in his hands and wear the same stoic face that everyone was used to seeing from him, but it was impossible. The more he fought it, the more it tried to worm its way to the forefront of his thoughts, commanding his attention…

_Ya gonna ignore me all day, old man?_

Herc prided himself in being able to keep an iron grip on his emotional state, but that voice broke through his control, already worn thin by the revelation that his son was alive. He burst out laughing and crying in the same moment, eliciting stares from Tendo and Caitlin and a worried whimper from Crimson's engines.

"I'm all right, I'm all right!" he insisted, waving their attentions away. "It's Striker sayin' hello is all…"

Tendo's jaw dropped. "Striker's alive?"

"His computer core must be still intact," Caitlin noted, her face splitting in an eager grin. "Another living Jaeger!"

Herc wiped furiously at his eyes, struggling to get himself under control. He was an officer in the PPDC; he had a reputation to uphold, dammit. But even he wasn't immune to the rush of emotion that accompanied being reunited with a Jaeger he'd given up as destroyed. Striker… the moment he'd felt that spark of sentience in the drift, he'd come to think of him as another son, a brother of sorts to Chuck. And though Chuck had denied it at first, calling his father crazy for even entertaining the notion, soon he had come to accept Striker as part of their family as well.

When Chuck and Pentecost had detonated the bomb meant to destroy the Breach, Herc had given both his sons up for dead. To know that they had somehow been granted a miracle, that he hadn't just lost the last fragments of his family… it was more than a little overwhelming.

_Don't tell me you're gettin' sappy on me, old man._

"Don't call me old man," Herc grumbled under his breath, though his grin didn't fade. "An' I'd given the both of you up for dead. I'd say I got a right to be a little sappy."

 _Maybe a little,_ Striker replied, sounding amused. _Don't worry, Chuck's fine. A little grouchy, but when isn't he?_

"What about you? You all right?"

 _Oh, just peachy,_ Striker grumbled. _Bloody fantastic. Always wanted to be just a head, ya know?_

Crimson stepped onto the island's shore and crouched down, lowering his "passengers" to the sand. A sizable crowd had gathered to watch Crimson's approach, expressions of awe and wonder on each face save one. Men and women gasped and murmured words that sounded remarkably like prayers, and children dashed forward to run circles around the Mark IV's massive feet. A few islanders even stepped forward to lay flower garlands and palm fronds on his feet, bowing and babbling in an unfamiliar language. Crimson, for his part, looked profoundly embarrassed at the attention, ducking his Conn Pod and fidgeting all three of his hands together.

A few of the islanders stepped forward to pay attention to Crimson's human companions, and Tendo and Caitlin accepted the welcome, shaking hands and allowing a woman to drape leis of fresh flowers around their necks. Herc brushed the attention off, holding a hand to stay the eager girl who wanted to loop a string of flowers over his head. His attention was focused on the surly young man at the head of the group, arms folded over his chest, gaze fixed on the elder Hansen.

In a few ways, Chuck had changed remarkably over the past few months. Herc had last seen him in his drive suit, but now he was bare-chested and wore what looked like a skirt or a kilt – a lava-lava, if Herc was remembering his terms right. His skin was deeply tanned, though not nearly as dark as the islanders, and livid red-pink scars stood out on his skin where the circuitry of the drive suit had burned into his flesh. A necklace of shells hung around his neck, bearing an abalone pendant with a reasonably-adept carving of Striker Eureka's bulldog sigil on it. Overall he looked more scarred and rugged than before, no longer a cocky fresh-faced rookie but a soldier who had undergone his baptism by fire and come back worn but stronger.

The younger Hansen's expression hadn't changed much from its usual default – sullen and angry, looking out at the world with judgmental eyes and finding it wanting. But his eyes were bright with emotion, despite all his attempts to school his expression.

 _Don't let the grumpy look fool ya,_ Striker advised. _He missed ya more than he'll admit._

"Bloody hell, will you shut up, Striker," Chuck muttered.

"Watch your mouth," Herc snapped out of pure reflex. "Have a lil' respect for your Jaeger."

"He sasses me plenty," Chuck retorted. "I should be able to sass back some."

Father and son regarded each other for a long moment, neither speaking further, neither making a move to step closer or to do anything to break the ice between them. Herc worked his jaw and looked down at the ground, struggling to hold back the tide of emotion. Chuck, too, seemed to be holding back, rocking back and forth on his heels and trying to delay the inevitable.

 _Will ya two swallow your pride an' hug each other already?_ Striker demanded. _I can read your thoughts, dammit. I know ya missed each other, even if ya won't say it out loud. Let's get the mushy stuff over with._

Chuck laughed softly. "You were always blunt, Striker," he noted, and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the elder Hansen.

"Not too tight," Herc warned, returning the embrace. "Got somethin' in my jacket."

"Came all this way to smuggle me some good booze?" Chuck laughed, then yelped and pulled away as something began squirming under Herc's jacket. "The hell you got in there?"

"A friend," Herc explained, unzipping his jacket enough for Bruno to poke his head out. "Gift from the city of Sydney. His name's Bruno. Been keeping Max company while you've been gone."

"I go save the world an' you replace me with a dog," Chuck grumbled, but a smile lit up his face as he pulled the pup out of Herc's coat. "Cute lil' devil…"

"Chuck Hansen!" Tendo exclaimed, waving away yet another islander trying to drape him with flowers. "It's good to see you again! We all assumed you'd been killed when Striker's payload detonated!"

Chuck smirked. "Can't get rid of me that easily. Or Striker, for that matter. We're Aussies; we're used to everythin' tryin' to kill us."

"Point," Tendo replied. "We'd like to hear just how you managed to survive a nuclear explosion, though. And with Striker's Conn Pod intact, to boot."

"We're also here to retrieve the both of you, if possible," Caitlin added. "Do you think the natives will permit it?"

Chuck looked Dr. Lightcap up and down, his expression one of puzzled amusement. "Who's the lady? She's not that bad to look at…"

Herc cuffed him on the back of the head, though not nearly hard enough to actually hurt. "Have a lil' respect for Dr. Lightcap, kid. She's the one that founded the Jaeger program."

"…oh." Chuck looked away and hurriedly changed the subject. "Yer gonna have to take that up with the elders. They've adopted his head as a shrine, an' they're not gonna take kindly to havin' that desecrated."

 _My head ain't a religious object,_ Striker grumbled.

Herc couldn't help a laugh. "Here I thought you'd enjoy bein' treated like a god, Striker."

 _Did for the first lil' while,_ Striker admitted. _But now it's just annoying. Bloody kooks keep throwin' stuff on me, chanting gibberish all day, not givin' me a moment's peace. Gets old. An' tellin' 'em to bugger off don't help much – they think I'm givin' them some kinda sign and just repeat it back to me._

"Wait, you can talk to the natives?" demanded Herc.

Caitlin's eyes widened. "Another Jaeger's learned to communicate? This is wonderful news!"

 _Takes some effort,_ Striker admitted. _Like I gotta "shout" my thoughts to be heard. Gives Chuck headaches, so I don't do it too often._

"The first couple weeks we were here he kept callin' out for you," Chuck told Herc. "I got migraines, but I let him do it… he missed you. Finally he figured you were just too far away and gave up."

"Well… I'm here now," Herc said with a smile. "An' we're gonna try to get you two home. Where's this elder you're talkin' about?"

"Back at the village," Chuck explained, waving them further inland. "With Striker's head."

Tendo, Herc, and Caitlin trailed after Chuck, but a shuddering impact on the sandy beach made the young Ranger halt in his tracks and turn around, eyes wide. Crimson had made to follow, but now regarded Chuck with a quizzical tilt of his Conn Pod. The islanders had backed away from his feet, though out of respect more than terror, and they still chattered excitedly and regarded him with sheer awe instead of fear.

"He's coming with us," Tendo explained. "There've been some interesting developments while you've been gone. For one thing, a few of the Jaegers are now fully sentient… and moving under their own power."

Chuck stared at him. "You're jokin'!"

"Nope," Caitlin replied with a wide smile. "It seems the secret's out about the Jaegers, at least within the Shatterdome. We're still trying to keep it hush from the rest of the world."

"And even better news," Tendo added. "Crimson and Cherno – and their Rangers – survived the double event. And they're recovering quite well."

Chuck gave a disbelieving laugh and shook his head. "Wow… that's wild. Guess me comin' back from the dead is kinda boring in comparison, huh?"

"Walk an' talk, all right?" Herc told him. "We wanna hear everything. How'd you escape?"

"Not much to tell," Chuck replied as he led the way further inland, Crimson picking his way after them with infinite care. "An' I think it was Striker's doin' more than anythin'."

 _Course it was!_ Striker cut in. _Jaegers protect humans. Think I was gonna let you two vaporize yourselves when I could stop it?_

"What'd Striker do?" asked Herc.

"Right after we activated the nuke, the Conn Pod detached," Chuck explained. "Always thought it was kinda stupid that they copied the Mark IIIs by makin' his Conn Pod a separate piece instead of part of the Jaeger… but I guess it paid off. We were already floatin' to the surface when the bomb went off… an' boy, was that a wild ride. Never wanna do THAT again."

"So Striker made his entire Conn Pod an escape pod," Caitlin realized. "Incredible."

"Anyhow, by the time I came to, we were washin' up onshore. By the time I disengaged the harness an' climbed out, the natives had found us. Thought I was a goner, but… turns out it was a group of 'em that considered the Jaegers gods for fightin' the Kaiju. They made a harness outta ropes to drag Striker's Conn Pod to their village, an' made it into a shrine. An' they let me hang around, I guess as kinda a high priest or somethin'."

Tendo nodded slowly. "It makes sense… but what about Pentecost?"

Chuck frowned and looked down at his feet before replying. "He… he didn't make it. Dunno if it was gettin' thrown around by the blast or just that a final drift was too much for 'im. But he was dead by the time we got to shore. He's buried back at the village."

Tendo's face fell – evidently he had been holding out hope for one last miracle. But it wasn't to be. "Do you think they'll allow us to take his body back with us? I think many of us would appreciate the closure that a proper funeral would give us."

Chuck shrugged. "Don't see why not. They're probably a lot more likely to give up Pentecost than Striker, actually."

The unlikely group crested a small rise and were treated to a picturesque view of the island village… and of Striker Eureka's Conn Pod. The thatch-and-bark huts of the islanders were positively dwarfed by the Jaeger cockpit, and its metallic gleam and sharp lines contrasted with the rough-hewn walls of the natives' homes. Flowers, palm fronds, seashells, fruits, and carved wood or bone trinkets lay spread before the Conn Pod like offerings, or were draped in elaborate festoons over the metal. An elderly man was carefully arranging said offerings to his liking and shooing away a flock of birds that were trying to help themselves to the fruits.

Tendo whistled softly. "Here I thought the tabloids were exaggerating."

"Yeah, some nosy reporter was here awhile back," Chuck noted. "Told her to get a message back to the Shatterdome if she could. Guess she figured sellin' her scoop was more important, though."

"Her message came back," Tendo replied. "Just not in the way you expected."

"Point." Chuck walked up to the Conn Pod and patted its side. "You ready to go home, Striker?"

 _Am I ever,_ Striker huffed. Then his "voice" intensified, as if he were shouting. _YA HEAR THAT, BLOODY WANKERS? WE'RE BLOWIN' THIS JOINT! NOW COME GET THIS CRAP OFF ME!_

"Watch your mouth, Striker!" Herc snapped.

The elderly man fussing with the offerings jumped in place at Striker's mental shout, dropping the handful of flowers he'd been clutching. "Wankers!" he exclaimed, and turned to bow deeply toward the Conn Pod.

_FOR CHRISSAKES, STOP THAT!_

"Chrissakes, stop that!" he repeated, an enormous smile on his face.

Chuck looked torn between laughing in amusement and facepalming in exasperation. "Shut it, Striker, an' let me handle this." He put a hand on the old man's shoulder and spoke a few words in whatever dialect these particular islanders used. The man spoke animatedly, waving his hands, and Chuck sighed and turned to the others.

"He says if we take Striker, the villagers'll resist," he replied. "Maybe violently. As far as they're concerned, Striker's presence protects the island. They're not about to give that up."

 _I'll give 'em violence if they want it,_ Striker growled.

"Striker, you're a talking head," Chuck pointed out. "What're ya gonna do, swear at 'em?"

Crimson crouched lower at that moment, still towering over the three humans but making some effort to put himself closer to their level. The elder murmured softly and fell to his knees before Crimson, hands raised in supplication. Crimson crooned deeply and reached out with one finger, lowering it with infinite care until the old man could reach out and touch it with his own hands. For a long moment Jaeger and islander remained frozen in place, Crimson thrumming and the elder's eyes shining with emotion.

The elder spoke a few more words, patting Crimson's finger, then lowered his hands and turned to Striker. He bowed deeply to the Conn Pod, spoke a little more, and walked away, still with that beatific smile on his face. Chuck just stared, as if not sure what had just happened.

"What did he say?" asked Caitlin.

"That if 'the red one' – Crimson – wants to call his friend home, he's welcome to do it." He shook his head. "Damn, I knew people idolized the Jaegers, but not _literally._ Still surprises me."

Herc relaxed at that. One more challenge surmounted. Though some small part of him wondered if rescuing Striker from the island would actually benefit him. The Shatterdome was barely scraping by as it was, and after Gipsy and Coyote's repairs, they had nothing left to finance a complete rebuild of Striker, even if they resorted to junked Jaeger parts to do so. Had they saved one of their own, only for him to remain helpless and crippled for the rest of his days?

He pushed those thoughts aside. He had his sons back. A miracle had been granted today. That was good enough for now.

"Crimson, get Striker's head back to the ship. Chuck, Tendo… let's find Pentecost's grave. Mako an' Coyote deserve some closure."

* * *

Cherno was bored.

It was late at night in Hong Kong, and the Shatterdome was largely silent. A few techs were still working on Coyote, smoothing out the last of her repairs and replacing the wiring and plating that had decayed during her years in Oblivion Bay, but otherwise there were no humans in the Jaeger bay. Even the Rangers had retired for the night, opting to go to their own quarters instead of spending the night in the hangars.

Cherno fidgeted his hands together, wishing he had some company. Too bad Crimson wasn't here. The Mark IV was always the source of some great stories, collecting Jaeger lore and perfectly happy to share it with anyone who would listen. But no, the lucky mech was off bringing Striker home, having his own adventure and leaving Cherno to die of boredom back at the base.

His parents might have been good company. Ever since he had achieved full sentience they had taken to sleeping in his hangar, even having a bed moved in beside him so they wouldn't have to leave his side unless absolutely necessary. But tonight they had declared a "date night," and gone to their own room for some privacy. They assured Cherno that he would see them again in the morning, and he believed them, but all the same, it left him feeling restless… and not a little irritated. He didn't understand what they were doing, only felt through the drift that they were enjoying it very much.

 _Humans are strange,_ he concluded finally. Despite loving Mama and Papa and pledging to protect them and all humankind, he found a lot of their practices baffling.

His engines groaned in dismay as he leaned against the wall of his hangar. Lightcap, he was bored. Usually, even if his parents weren't around, he could find some entertainment in Crimson. But only Gipsy and Coyote were here, and despite having mellowed over the past few days Coyote was still snappish and antisocial with everyone but Gipsy and Mako. Somehow he doubted she'd be up for a game of Go or checkers.

Gipsy, though… perhaps she could help alleviate his boredom. Ever since Mako had gotten her that projection screen she'd been absorbed in watching things, but perhaps she'd at least let him watch with her. She wasn't the selfish sort, and unless her trip to the Anteverse and back had drastically altered her personality, he was sure she'd let him sit by her.

The blue Jaeger turned slightly as he approached her hangar, and she "nudged" him happily and patted the floor beside her. He obliged, settling his bulk in as carefully as he could.

 _What's this?_ he asked, pointing at the screen.

 _An anime,_ Gipsy replied. _Mako calls it_ Brave Police. _It's about robots too! They're not as big as us and they don't have Rangers, but they're still cool._

_Can I watch too?_

_Sure. You missed the first couple episodes, though. I'd go back for you but only Mako can work the controls. My hands are too big._

_That's okay. How is it so far?_

_Pretty fun. Deckerd's the best part of it, though. He turns into a police car! And he's noble and brave, just like a Jaeger should be! And I like his face – I know Jaegers don't have faces, not like human ones, but his face is pretty nice…_

Cherno's engine stuttered in a laugh. _You like him!_

_What?_

_You have a crush on a robot in a cartoon!_

_Do not!_ She lightly punched his arm, the clang of metal on metal echoing through the bay and startling the technicians working on Coyote. _I think he's cool, but I don't have a crush!_

 _Do too,_ he giggled.

_Do not!_

Coyote gave a warning snarl. _Children, behave. Don't make me come over there._

Cherno quieted down, though he couldn't suppress his amusement. Gipsy pretended to sulk as she returned her attention to the cartoon, but her bad mood didn't last very long.

 _I'm starting to get tired of just watching stuff all day,_ she admitted. _I know it's bad to think it, but… I almost wish we'd get another Kaiju. Or Mustang going crazy again. Anything to get out of the base for a little bit._

_I thought you were scared of fighting Kaiju again._

_I was scared of seeing Leatherback again. After what the first one did to you and Crimson… I didn't want to see his ugly face again. But if they send another Kaiju, I'm more than ready!_ She pretended to crack her knuckles. _So long as it's not a clone of Knifehead, I guess…_

Despite himself, Cherno couldn't help but silently agree with her. He was starting to get tired of the Shatterdome. Not the people in it – his family was here, and he considered the other Jaegers and many of the humans his friends. But he was starting to feel antsy, almost claustrophobic, from seeing the same walls around him day after day. He wanted to go out, to see the city at night with his own visual sensors and not through his parents' eyes, to feel the surf on his legs and the wind on his plating.

But Tendo had made the rules clear before he left – the Jaegers were not allowed outside unless there was another Kaiju attack. They couldn't risk the PPDC learning the truth about the Jaegers, not right now.

 _It's not fair,_ Gipsy huffed. _We've spent so long helping humans. Why would they be scared if they learned we were alive?_

 _Humans are strange,_ Cherno replied, drawing his knees up to his chest. _They like to be in control of things, I guess. Even with us – they built us so they would be in control no matter what. Tendo thinks that if the humans in charge learned that we were out of their control, they'd want us destroyed._

_But we've never hurt humans before. Not on purpose, anyhow… I know sometimes we destroyed property, but that wasn't ever on purpose!_

Cherno shrugged, not having an answer. He knew a lot of the fear had to do with size – a Jaeger didn't have to be malicious to cause a lot of death and destruction, a fact the Shatterdome could attest to multiple times. But all the same, if they just had a chance to prove themselves, perhaps people would think differently.

Something "nudged" at him again, and he turned to find Gipsy looking at him instead of giving her attention to the anime. Jaeger faces weren't built to convey emotion, but she practically radiated mischief and anticipation anyhow.

_Let's go outside._

Cherno whined and made a negative gesture with one hand. _Tendo said to stay in the Shatterdome._

_Tendo's not here. He doesn't have to find out._

_Gipsy, we're huge! We're not going to be able to sneak in and out that easy!_

_Okay, so Tendo will find out, but it's not like we're going to hurt anything. Just go outside, go for a walk, and then come back in. If people ask questions, our Rangers are just taking us for test runs. Besides, I want to see Hong Kong when I'm not being distracted by Kaiju. I didn't get a good look at it last time, but what I saw was beautiful. I want a closer look._

Cherno looked toward Coyote, wondering if the gray Jaeger was hearing this. If she had overheard, however, she gave no sign. She had leaned back and tilted her Conn Pod toward the ceiling to allow the techs to access the wiring in her "neck" connections. Reassured that she was occupied for the moment, he turned back to Gipsy.

_What if we get caught? Or worse, what if a Kaiju comes while we're gone?_

_If we're caught, we freeze and play dead until the Shatterdome comes back for us. Tendo and Raleigh will come up with a cover story. If a Kaiju comes, we'll hear the sirens. And we'll be ready to fight anyhow._

_You've really thought about this, haven't you?_

The feeling she gave off could best be described as a smirk. _Ever since I got new legs._

Something told Cherno this wasn't a good idea. But he couldn't deny that the thought of going outside and stretching his legs sounded wonderful right now. And he'd been wanting a chance to explore a bit on his own for a while. When would they get this chance again? Besides, they were Jaegers. There wasn't a whole lot anyone could do to stop them from leaving.

 _We'd better hurry,_ Cherno said at last, pushing himself to his feet and offering his hand to Gipsy. _If we're gone for too long, my parents and your brother might worry._

She nodded. _We'll only be gone an hour. Just long enough to get a good look at the city. Come on, this way! They never close the main doors all the way._

The techs were so used to the Jaegers getting up and milling about by now that they didn't question why Gipsy and Cherno were walking toward the main doors until they had already forced them open. By the time they thought to call in an alarm to the LOCCENT, where Bailey kept watch over things in Tendo's stead, they were gone.

Coyote growled and ordered the techs working on her neck to buzz off, then stood once she was sure they were a safe distance away. Lightcap dammit, this base was full of children instead of competent Jaegers. Someone was going to have to go after those two and make sure they didn't do anything stupid, and it looked like it was going to have to be her.


	23. Rescue and Revelation

_Gipsy was no stranger to fighting in frigid sea water. In fact, the Jaegers had been designed to primarily fight knee-deep in water, as it was their ultimate goal to prevent Kaiju from making landfall at all costs. But the feeling of total immersion was alien to her, and for a moment she panicked as the waters closed over her head, the ocean depths claiming her and dragging her and Striker further down. It was as if they were already descending into the Breach, never to return to the surface…_

_Striker "nudged" her firmly, shaking her out of her panic, and with a shudder she braced herself for landing on the ocean floor. There was no time for fear – they had a mission, and everything they fought for rode on its success._

_Her feet impacted against the sea floor, foot spikes automatically locking in place to keep her upright. She rose from her crouch and began to move forward, though the water and pressure made every movement sluggish. Striker, too, moved as if in slow motion, despite his claim as the fastest Jaeger ever built. Their slow, deliberate movements, combined with the murky light of their floodlights that did almost nothing to illuminate the shadowy world of the sea floor, gave everything an eerie feel, as if they were walking on an alien world._

_Striker kept his Conn Pod fixed on the path ahead, picking his way across a scattering of rocks, but his presence reached out for her. This was it… there was no turning back now. Was she ready? And could he count on her to watch his back?_

_She pulsed back an affirmative answer. She would never be fully ready – neither of them could be, for who knew what kind of surprises lay in store for them at the Breach? But she was as ready as she would ever be. And, she added wryly, someone had to watch his backside, since he seemed so insistent on getting himself in trouble. It might as well be her._

_His irritated rumble carried easily through the water, sounding almost like a roar. Cheeky one, she was… but he admitted that she had proven herself at Victoria Harbor. There was no one else he'd rather have at his side._

_Gipsy couldn't suppress a squeak of gears at that, and hoped that Raleigh and Mako would write it off as her systems reacting to the water pressure. Had she been human, she would have flushed at the attention. She had to shake herself and press on, reminding herself that now was not the time to be flirting or acting like a teenager._

_Perhaps it was the looming threat of something catastrophic happening on this mission, or perhaps it was the absence of Cherno and Crimson. But during those precious hours between returning from Victoria Bay and being carried out to the Breach, Gipsy and Striker had quickly forged a bond between them. Maybe it wasn't as strong or as deep as her bonds with the other two, but it burned brightly nonetheless. It wasn't quite love – there hadn't been time for that – but she was fond of him, and she hoped beyond hope that whatever happened at the Breach, they would escape it together._

_She only wished they had more time… but that was all the more reason to win today, and to return to the Shatterdome intact. Whatever happened after the war, there would certainly be time for them to get to know each other better._

_The two Jaegers dropped down a sheer crater wall to come within sight of a glowing, sizzling fissure in the sea floor, one surrounded by red-hot vents that festered like boils in the very rock. The Breach pulsed and oozed like an infected wound, a wound that would spread its poison through the entire world until all humankind was obliterated if the Precursors had their way…_

_But Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka weren't about to let the Precursors win without a fight. They were Jaegers… surrender was never an option._

_Striker "nudged" her again. Was she ready?_

_Gipsy pulsed back. She was more than ready. This was what she had been built for._

_Together, the two Jaegers approached the gaping portal to another universe, ready to end the war one way or another._

* * *

Newt had no idea how long they'd been locked in their quarters by now. It could have been hours or weeks as far as he knew – they'd confiscated his phone and watch, so he couldn't even check the time. Hermann might have been able to provide some kind of timeline, since the mathematician had an excellent internal clock of his own… but he hadn't spoken to Newt since their imprisonment. He'd spent the entire time scribbling on the wall of the room with a pen and muttering to himself, only pausing to relieve himself in the container that some cultist had "thoughtfully" left in here for them.

His behavior wasn't too different from his normal behavior back at the Shatterdome labs, except that he didn't stop to snark at Newt or even respond when he asked a question or urged him to take a break and eat something. Was he that upset at him? It wasn't like it was his fault they were stuck in this predicament. Tendo had sent him here, and Mikhail had locked them up in the first place. What did he have to do with any of this?

Spike gurgled, and Newt hurried over to make sure he was okay. One small concession the cultists had granted, at least – they had brought the skin louse to keep Newt company. Though Newt was starting to wonder if that was any sort of mercy, because Spike was looking worse, his carapace shriveling and his compound eyes looking foggy and silvery like he had cataracts. Probably from missing so many ammonia baths…

A small hatch in the door opened, and a tray of food slid through before the hatch closed again. Newt picked out a few bits from his plate that might have been meat and offered them to Spike, but the louse barely nibbled at them before curling up and shivering.

"I'm sorry, boy," Newt murmured, rubbing him just behind the head plate. "We'll get out of here… I promise. Just gotta find a way." He looked over at Hermann. "Uh, hey… you gonna eat anything or just pace and mumble?"

The mathematician didn't even turn to acknowledge him. He simply stepped back from the wall and stared at the diagram he'd scrawled out. No, it wasn't quite a diagram… it looked more like a map. And Newt couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen it before…

"At least seven of those large buildings, if they can even be called that," he muttered. "Twelve Kaiju under construction, as well as that… thing, whatever it was. It didn't look Kaiju-like, unless it's a kind we've never seen before…"

Newt's jaw dropped. No wonder it looked so familiar! Hermann was making a map of the Precursor's base! And he had to admit it wasn't a half-bad one – his partner-in-crime had a photographic memory, and had probably picked up on details during the drifts that Newt had missed entirely. No doubt he wanted to commit what he'd seen to some kind of tangible form before they escaped… or before the cult had their way with them. Whichever came first.

"You don't still have your phone, do you?"

It took Newt a minute to realize Hermann was finally addressing him. "No, they swiped that first thing. Why?"

"Pity. I'd hoped we could photograph this and send it to Marshal Choi. In that case, I'd better copy this… damn, there's no paper in this room, is there? Give me your shirt."

"What?! Dude, I'm not walking around this place half-naked! Draw on your own shirt!"

"Dammit, Newt, are you really going to fuss about that when the safety of the world is at stake?"

Before Newt could answer, the door to their room opened. Newt cringed, expecting them to be beaten or worse for vandalizing the walls of the temple. But the broad, hulking acolyte in the doorway didn't even seem to notice.

"You two," he rumbled. "Come. Now."

"Your High Priestess has a lot of gall to assume we'll do as she says after everything she's done," Hermann snapped.

"Yeah, he's right," Newt added. "Why should we listen to you?"

The acolyte didn't say anything, only raised one hand and punched his palm with a closed fist.

"All right, all right, we're coming!" Newt grumbled, scooping up Spike. "Geez, I thought monks were supposed to be pacifists and stuff…"

Two more burly acolytes waited just outside the door, and they escorted the two scientists back to the inner sanctum. Newt no longer had an eye for the Kaiju-themed décor or the tanks of immaculately preserved organs – all he could wonder was if they were being dragged before Mutavore's brain for some kind of execution or worse. He hadn't found any sign that the cultists practiced blood sacrifices, but they could always decide that their precious Deep Ones or their Messengers needed victims for some reason.

Mutavore's brain seemed more energetic than ever today – it bobbed and rocked in its preservative bath, tendrils pawing at the sides of its tank. Newt fought the urge to stick his tongue out at the brain. He had a healthy respect for Mutavore, and had even created a scale model of it in his workshop, but he wasn't about to forgive it for mindlinking him to the Precursors. Even if that hadn't exactly been Mutavore's fault, but the work of…

"Priestess Mikhail," Hermann spat as the woman emerged from the shadows. "You never give up, do you?"

She gave him a cool smile in return. "We all do what we must in desperate times, do we not?" The priestess wore no robes today, but a silver tunic and black leggings… and for the first time since Newt had met her, she wore no headdress. She was bareheaded save a thin silver headband holding back her thick, waist-length tresses. Funny, Newt had imagined she'd keep her hair short to better fit under her weird headpieces…

It was more of a shock than it should have been to see the vivid blue streak that ran through Mikhail's hair. Like Mako, she had chosen to mark herself with the color of Kaiju Blue… though the differences between the women couldn't have been more striking. While one wore the color to commemorate her lost family and fought to destroy the Kaiju, the other wore hers to worship the creatures and had set herself firmly against the Jaegers and all who stood with them.

"Don't look so worried," Mikhail assured them, cutting through Newt's train of thought. "We mean you no harm if you only cooperate with us."

Hermann drew himself up as straight as his bad leg would allow. "Madam, you can force us to drift with Mutavore all you wish. But simply because you strongarm us into a neural handshake does not mean we'll tell you what we see. In fact, from this moment on I will share no further information from the drift with you."

Mikhail sighed and shook her head. "Such a shame, Hermann. I took you to be the wise one." She turned to Newt and lifted an eyebrow.

"Lady, you've been creepy since day one," Newt told her. "And this just tops it. I'm done telling you stuff."

"I was afraid of this," she said softly. "Which is why we had secondary plans."

"Secondary?" Hermann repeated.

She nodded toward the table before Mutavore's tank. Newt's eyes threatened to bulge from their sockets. Three Styrofoam heads stared blankly back, each wearing a Pons headset.

"Crimson Typhoon has proven one thing to us," she explained. "That a drift between three individuals is possible. So it shall be thus – you will initiate the drift, and I shall join you. And together, we shall see through the eyes of the Deep Ones, and learn the glorious truths they have to teach us."

* * *

Cherno cooed in awe as his visual sensors swept over the vibrant sea of color and light that was Hong Kong at night. So beautiful! Nothing he'd seen in a movie could even compare to this! Sure, there were ominous darkened patches throughout the city, spots damaged during the fight against Otachi and Leatherback that had yet to be fully repaired, but otherwise it hummed and glowed with activity, awash in neon and throbbing with a pulse all its own.

Gipsy grabbed his arm and tugged at it like an eager child. _Come on! Let's get closer!_

 _Are you sure that's a good idea?_ He took a step forward – and winced internally as something crunched beneath his foot. _Ack! I think I just stepped on a bulldozer!_

 _Just be more careful where you step,_ Gipsy advised. _We'll have to walk around the outskirts, I think – their roads aren't very strong, and we'd leave craters as we walk. But we can still see most of it if we're careful._

Cherno let her take the lead, careful to set his feet in her footsteps – though his feet were much bigger than hers and left her deep prints even larger than before. _What are you hoping to see?_

 _There's some buildings I saw last time that I want a closer look at,_ she replied. _And maybe I can find that boat and take it back to where my Rangers and I found it. Whoever owns it probably wants it back._

_Probably not if it's broken. Besides, Tendo was saying something about insurance payouts, whatever those are. Maybe they don't want it back at this point._

Gipsy shrugged and kept going, stepping carefully over a highway overpass. Luckily said pass was currently abandoned, shut down for repairs; otherwise they would have caused a massive traffic disruption.

_Anything you wanted to see while we're here, Cherno?_

_Hmmmm… maybe the spots where Otachi and Leatherback went down? I know you took them down, but… I'd like to make sure they're really dead._

_Sure thing. We killed Leatherback over by the shipping yards, and Otachi's further downtown, by the Bone Slums. Which one first?_

_The shipping yards are closer. Let's go there._

_Right._ She turned to lead the way… then paused. _Uh-oh, there's a ship docking there. I think it's the ship Crimson and Tendo left on!_

 _Then we'd better not go there just yet,_ Cherno decided. _Don't want them to catch us. I guess it's the slums, then._

 _Don't sound so disappointed. The Bone Slums are actually kind of cool._ She motioned for him to follow. _This way's fastest. C'mon!_

* * *

"Lady, you're crazy!" Newt shrieked.

"This is the epitome of madness!" Hermann agreed. "Do you have any idea how risky a drift is in the first place? And throwing THREE people and a Kaiju into the mix? You're likely to kill us all!"

Mikhail's smile never faded. "The greatest achievements carry risk, Geizler and Gottlieb. Imagine if we never attempted anything because it risked one's life. Smallpox would never have been eradicated. Men would have never set foot on the moon. The American continent would have gone undiscovered. And the Jaegers – those abominations you hold in such high esteem – would never have been built. No… I am aware of the risks, and I am willing to take them."

"You really don't wanna do this, lady," Newt insisted. "Seriously! It's freaky in there! And the side effects are really nasty!"

Her smile widened, and her eyes gleamed with rapture. "No price is too high to be able to commune with the Deep Ones. I have long awaited this moment… and I shall finally have the pleasure to meet them. Perhaps not face to face, but to contact them in the drift is almost as good."

Hermann scowled. "I knew you were a fanatic, but I never took you to be this dangerously deluded."

"We're all delusional," she replied evenly. "The PPDC thrives on the delusion that they can control or destroy the Deep Ones. Our delusion is simply a bit more reasonable." She gestured toward the Pons headsets. "Shall we begin?"

"Not on your life, lady!" Newt backed away, only for one of the Hulk-wannabe acolytes to grab him by the arms and push him forward. Hermann was similarly clamped in a vise-like grip and held in place.

"I'm afraid you have no choice." Mikhail turned to the headsets and selected one, resting it on her head as regally as if it were a crown. Then she chose another and turned to place it on Newt's head. He reared back to evade it, but a hand shoved his head forward, forcing him to accept it.

"Relax," she advised. "This won't take long."

* * *

The path of destruction Otachi and Gipsy had carved during their battle had yet to be repaired, and so there was little to impede the two Jaegers' progress as they headed for the Bone Slums. Gipsy was careful to set her feet down only where there were craters and smashed areas from the fight so as not to cause more damage, and Cherno followed her example. His larger feet didn't always fit in Gipsy's prints, but he did the best he could, even if he did accidentally step on a few cars and kick a street sign into a window. Sometimes he hated being so big.

Their passage didn't exactly go unnoticed either. Despite the late hour there were still people walking or bicycling on the streets of Hong Kong, and the slums in particular hummed with activity. As Gipsy approached Otachi's remains a crowd began to gather, pedestrians stopping in their tracks to stare, cyclists either braking to a halt or careening headlong into parked cars or buildings in their distraction. A buzz of excitement drifted up from their growing audience, and phones and cameras were raised to snap photos. Cherno halted in his tracks, staring in bemusement.

_Gipsy…_

_I know, I know, they see us. It's not like we can really hide. But if we don't do anything stupid, they'll just assume we're out on a test run. Just act like your Rangers are still piloting you._

_I'll try._ He took a careful step forward, wincing as that step made the ground shake enough for people to stagger. But that didn't seem to terrify them – if anything, they only cheered and chattered excitedly, and some even waved up at him. He raised one hand to wave back, pleasure flooding his core.

_Don't do that!_

He jerked his hand down. _Sorry… just trying to be friendly._

 _You'll blow our cover. Be more careful, okay?_ She turned to continue on, only for her arm to catch on a billboard and tear it loose. She snatched at it but missed, and it crashed into the street, shattering in pieces and blocking most of the lanes of traffic. _Oops!_

_Be more careful, eh?_

_Oh hush, like you haven't broken things._ She finally halted in her tracks and nodded at a swath of flattened buildings. _There she is._

Cherno took two more steps, gaze fixed on his feet to ensure he didn't flatten someone by accident, and looked up. _Huh… she's a lot smaller than I remembered. Did she shrink after she died?_

_That's the baby one. Otachi's up a little further._

A baby Kaiju? Cherno shuddered at the thought before letting his gaze rest on what remained of Otachi. Hannibal's men had been thorough – all that remained of the fearsome beast was an ivory skeleton, skull grinning savagely and empty eye sockets staring blankly ahead. Her bones were riddled with holes where harvesters had bored out chunks of material for their own use, and there were gaps in the rows of fangs where they had yanked out teeth. Even the Kaiju infant hadn't gone to waste, stripped down to the skeleton and its bones left to dry out.

Cherno had no love for the Kaiju, especially a Kaiju who had nearly killed him and his parents. But there was something sad, almost pathetic, about seeing Otachi reduced to bare bones like a deer in a piranha-filled river. Whatever power to terrify and destroy she might have had before were gone, leaving behind only an empty shell to be gutted and stripped. And if nothing else… it was proof to the citizens of Hong Kong that the Precursors' attack dogs weren't nearly as invincible as they seemed.

 _Maybe that's why, despite everything, humans still put their bones on display in museums or monuments._ _They want reminders that the Kaiju can be killed._

 _Should we go now?_ asked Gipsy.

_One minute… there's something I have to do. For my family._

_Oh?_

Cherno make his careful way forward, then rested his foot against Otachi's skull. He slowly leaned his weight on that leg, the bone creaking under the strain, then cracking… then finally shattering in a cloud of dust and rubble. Bystanders scattered to avoid flying shrapnel, but just as quickly dashed back in to snatch pieces of fang and bone, either as souvenirs or to sell on the black market later.

 _Good riddance._ He stepped back from the ruined skeleton. _I'm ready to go… what's that?_

Gipsy glanced up. _That? Oh, that's another Kaiju – Reckoner. He's been dead for years, and I guess they left his bones because people have built homes and businesses in and around them. Weird, but then, that's humans for you._

_The head looks weird… it's almost like they've turned it into a house._

Gipsy shook her head. _It's not a house. That's the temple of the Kaiju cultists._

Cold anger flared in Cherno's core at that. He had never liked the fact that, despite all the destruction and pain they had wreaked, there were still humans who worshipped the Kaiju. And after they had tried to sabotage a fight and allow Otachi 2.0 to destroy Hong Kong, his disgust had only deepened. If there was one group of humans he came close to hating, it was that group of delusional fanatics. He almost wished he wasn't so bound to his cause of protecting humanity and could go wreck the temple with impunity.

_Don't do it, Cherno! They're still humans… and Tendo won't like us hurting humans, even if they are cultists. C'mon… let's go find Leatherback and then get out of here before they suspect something._

_Okay._ But he couldn't resist one last look at Reckoner's skull. He'd let them go for now, but if they did anything to hurt another Jaeger or one of his human friends, he was going to make them pay.

* * *

Newt shook his head furiously, trying to dislodge the Pons cap, before someone grabbed his jaw and forcibly stilled him. Beside him Hermann let loose a string of profanity in English, German, Mandarin, and Latin, and even managed to score a few hits on the acolytes with his cane before it was yanked from his grip. Spike squealed and writhed in his arms, as if he sensed what was about to happen and was trying to escape it.

Only Mikhail was calm, standing with her hands folded before her and her eyes half-lidded, looking for all the world like a yoga instructor about to address the class.

"Relax," she urged. "Let it flow. And don't be afraid. The Deep Ones are ruthless judges of this world, but merciful to their believers."

"I don't think _mercy_ is in their vocabulary, lady!" Newt replied, still squirming.

"This is your last chance, madam," Hermann added. "Stop this insanity now! You're toying with forces you don't understand! You'll kill yourself and us with you!"

"The only way to increase our understanding is to toy with those forces, as you put it," she retorted. "And if I should die to further our understanding… then so be it. I embrace my fate." She turned and rested her hand on the button. "Three… two… one…"

_Pain… rush of memory… a collage of images from Newt's boyhood and college days and Kaiju studies… the by-now-familiar scenes of Hermann being taunted as a schoolboy, of his vast intellect making him a freak and a punching bag among his peers, and of his accomplishments as a scientist and Jaeger engineer…_

_New memories… a girl barely into her teens crying in terror as she was yanked from her father to be forced into marriage to a man three times her age… a young woman huddled in the hold of a fishing boat, smuggling herself out of her home country… a kindly old man opening the doors of the Kaiju temple to welcome a ragged, desperate vagabond into the sanctuary of the cult…_

_The shell domes of the base, outlines murky and barely visible in the underwater gloom… workers crawling across the skin of a Kaiju, inspecting their handiwork, the beast writhing and snapping beneath them… a regal, crested being watching with sharp, calculating eyes as two more Kaiju were readied… then its jet-black gaze resting on the shell-and-flesh behemoth coming slowly but surely together just behind the ranks of constructed monsters…_

_The pain was expected this time, but no less intense… splitting, tearing, threatening to rip them to shreds where they stood… cold black eyes drilling into them, hatred searing through the drift…_

_WE WARNED YOU. DRIFT AGAIN AND WE WILL KILL YOU. YOU CHOSE NOT TO LISTEN. STUPID ANIMALS. YOU DESERVE YOUR FATE._

_Burst of thought, terrified and desperate –_ it wasn't us, dude, I swear! Please don't kill us!

_Hesitation… the use of a slang term confusing the Precursor long enough for another to speak…_

All praise to the Deep Ones! All praise and all glory! We exist at your tender mercies. We accept your divine punishments for our sins. Your Messengers come in their terrible glory to chastise us, and we bow ourselves beneath their blows. We live to serve and honor you!

 _Another voice, ringing with anger –_ for God's sake, Mikhail!

_From the Precursor, bewilderment. YOU WORSHIP US? NO, NOT YOU TWO… THE NEW ONE, NOT THE PESTS._

_From Mikhail, a thrill of pleasure at the recognition._

_PRIMITIVE. Disgust and disbelief, and not a little arrogance. ALL THREE OF YOU… BUT THE TWO PESTS BELIEVE IN SCIENCE. PRIMITIVE ANIMAL SCIENCE, BUT SCIENCE. WE CAN RESPECT THAT. Attention drifting, focusing on Mikhail. THE NEW ONE CLINGS TO BARBARIC SUPERSTITION. WE ARE NOT GODS. WE ARE BEYOND YOUR PATHETIC UNDERSTANDING._

But we can learn! _Desperation, pleading._ Teach me! I hunger for your knowledge, O Deep One! Show unto me your wisdom!

_YOU WANT WISDOM, STUPID ANIMAL? YOU SHALL HAVE IT._

_And with that, the drift exploded into red agony._

* * *

Cherno was just about to turn away from the skull of Reckoner when he felt it – a tingle of energy, one he normally only felt when a drift was in progress. But that was impossible. He and Gipsy were the only Jaegers here, right? And none of the buildings around here looked like they could be a Shatterdome, even an illicit one…

_Gipsy, do you feel that?_

_Yeah, I do._ She shook her head, growling. _Whatever it is, I don't like it. It's not like a Jaeger drift, it feels wrong!_

 _And it's coming from…_ Cherno's gaze rested back on the skull. _Oh Gipsy… it's coming from the temple!_

Gipsy froze. Then a roar of pure rage ripped from her engines, and she strode toward the temple, scattering spectators and crushing a (thankfully abandoned) butcher's stall before reaching the bone edifice. Her blue-armored left arm flexed, and a segmented swath of metal slid out of its sheath before locking into a solid blade.

_Gipsy, careful!_

_Careful, my thermal exhaust vents! I don't know what they're doing in there, but I know I don't like it! And if the cult is going to misuse the drifting tech… that's going way too far!_ And with a slash of her arm she slammed the blade into the top of Reckoner's skull.

* * *

Newt would never be sure whether the roof of the temple being ripped off had interrupted the drift or if the Precursor had forcibly ejected him from it. Either way, he was just grateful to be back in the land of the living. His entire body shook hard enough to jostle Spike in his arms and blood slicked his upper lip, but he would take a drift hangover over being mind-locked with a Precursor any day.

The acolyte holding onto him released him so suddenly he staggered, screaming in Mandarin as a segmented blade sliced through the ceiling, passing barely a meter over their heads. The blade struck the tank containing Mutavore's brain, shattering it and sending a wave of stinking blue-tinted fluid flooding the sanctum. The brain's tendrils flailed wildly in its death throes, and Newt felt a moment of anguish at losing such a perfect specimen of a secondary Kaiju brain.

Then his attention returned to the sanctum itself. The acolytes were in chaos, some running out of the room screaming, others rushing to Mikhail and trying to pull off the Pons headset. The High Priestess looked nothing like her usual serene, smiling self – she was screaming like a murder victim in a horror movie, clawing at her face, eyes wide and staring at nothing but gleaming with utter horror. Even as he watched her eyes rolled back until only the whites showed, though the cut-throat screams never stopped.

 _Hermann!_ He looked wildly around, trying to spot his fellow scientist. It didn't take long – Hermann had fallen to the floor but managed to crawl away, and now sat against a wall with his bleeding nose pinched in his fingers. He looked far more irritated than frightened at this turn of events, and watched the unfolding chaos with a studious eye.

"Hermann!" Newt rushed to his side. "You all right, man?"

"Been better," Hermann admitted, voice thick and muffled through his pinched nose. "And a fair sight better than our High Priestess, I'll wager."

"The hell is up with that anyhow?" He extended a hand, and Hermann took it and pulled himself to his feet. "Is the Precursor torturing her or something?"

"Perhaps… but I believe it might be worse than that. Not everyone is suited for a neural handshake, and Mikhail is not one of the fortunate ones. She's locked in the handshake, chasing the RABIT."

Newt's gut clenched in horror. Stuck in a memory… trapped in the drift… he couldn't imagine many fates worse than that. Especially if the other one drifting with you was an eldritch abomination from another universe entirely.

"But don't worry about her," Hermann advised. "She meant us nothing good anyhow. Besides, we have bigger problems."

"What bigger problems?" Newt demanded, looking up. "Don't tell me there's a Kaiju… oh."

Through the open roof of the sanctum stared two enormous faces… or rather, Conn Pods. Both of them focused their floodlights into the room, illuminating the ruined sanctum and making all but the most stalwart acolytes flee like cockroaches. Cherno Alpha's engines rumbled in anger, though that rumble softened as he spotted the two scientists. The other Jaeger continued to snarl… and Newt could only wonder how in the hell they had managed to rebuild Gipsy Danger so fast. Though judging by the patchwork look to her limbs, they'd probably done it by cobbling pieces together from other Jaegers.

"My god," Hermann breathed. "Another one."

Cherno raised a hand, then began to lower it into the chamber. But a sudden growl from behind made him turn, and a sheepish squeak emerged from his chassis. A third Jaeger had stormed up from behind, rain gleaming on its gray armor and an angry grumble rising from her engines. Newt just stared. This wasn't one of the Shatterdome Jaegers.

"Another Mark I," Hermann murmured. "Coyote Tango. How is this possible? It was… it was retired, sent to the junkyard…"

Even as the two scientists stared, the gray Jaeger reached out and grabbed Cherno by one of his turbines, then Gipsy by her neck guard. It yanked both of them closer and rumbled like thunder, sounding remarkably like a school teacher telling off a couple of misbehaving students. Cherno squealed, a noise that sounded remarkably like "I'm sorry, I won't do it again," while Gipsy just growled in return, as if trying to justify her actions. The Mark I rumbled again, shaking both Jaegers, then released them and stared down into the ruined temple.

Newt raised his hands, waving. Well, this hadn't exactly been the rescue he'd been hoping for, but in a way it was rather appropriate. Who better to save them from the clutches of the Kaiju cult than a trio of sentient Jaegers?

Cherno rumbled again, almost more of a purr than a growl. Then he lowered his hand, extending two fingers into the room like a makeshift ladder for the two to climb up. His purr became a soft croon, an assurance that they were safe, that he would get them home and away from the cult. Newt couldn't explain how he knew that… he just instinctively felt it.

"C'mon, Hermann, we're going home!" He shifted Spike to one arm and set to climbing up into Cherno's palm – a tricky job, since the slick metal didn't afford too many handholds, but he managed it. Hermann managed to pull himself after him, wincing in pain, and Cherno lifted them and cupped them against his chest. A soft thrumming sound issued from his chassis, a sound that vibrated through his entire body and seemed to envelope him like a protective blanket.

"Aw man, Hermann… that's the same sound he made for Crimson, remember? I think… I think he's trying to comfort us. That settles it, he's the most adorable giant robot I've ever seen!" He patted the metal of his palm. "Let's go home, big guy."

"So much for keeping the proverbial cat in the bag," Hermann huffed, making himself as comfortable as possible. "Tendo has a lot of damage control to do now… in more ways than one."

Tendo had contacted the Shatterdome from the now-docked _Ao Kuang_ to inform Bailey and Mako that they would be bringing home another live Jaeger. He hadn't expected to be met with a crisis first thing.

"You're not going to like this, sir," were the first words out of Bailey's mouth instead of any form of greeting.

"I'm almost afraid to ask," he replied blandly. There were so many things that could go wrong anymore – another double event, a terrorist attack by the cult, the PPDC shutting them down for good – that he didn't even bother trying to pick one that could be the possible culprit.

"It is Gipsy and Cherno," Mako reported, voice brisk in an effort to hide her worry. "They have gone missing."

Herc, eavesdropping on the call, recoiled with a look of disbelief. "How th' hell d'ya lose a two-thousand-ton iron giant? Let alone TWO of 'em!"

"Where were they last seen?" asked Tendo, pushing Herc back.

"In the Shatterdome," Mako replied. "The technicians say they just stood up and went outside. Coyote went after them, I think to try to bring them back."

"And everyone just let this bleedin' happen?" demanded Herc.

"Do you honestly think there was anything they could do to stop them?" Tendo shot back.

"Um… I hate to interrupt a tense moment," Caitlin cut in. "But you might want to see this."

Tendo turned toward the smartphone that Dr. Lightcap offered him. She had pulled up a breaking news story… one with photos of Cherno Alpha, Gipsy Danger, and Coyote Tango standing in the heart of the Bone Slums, surrounded by a gleeful crowd. Cherno had one hand cupped to his chest and the other raised as if waving to the crowd, while Coyote held onto Gipsy by the shoulders, looking for all the world like she was telling the younger Jaeger off for some offense or other. It was hard to make out on such a small screen, but Tendo thought he could pick out news vans at the Jaegers' feet, as well as helicopters circling overhead…

"Damn it all to hell," he groaned. "The world knows." _And it's only a matter of time before the PPDC gets wind of this too. Dammit… what do we do now?_


	24. Ultimatum

_It was nothing like she had imagined. Nothing._

_Gipsy had always pictured the Breach as some kind of portal, like that game Raleigh and Yancy had played together during their off times at the Anchorage Shatterdome. But this wasn't a simple hole or rift leading to another world. It was a passageway that looked weirdly organic and flesh-like, walls pulsing around her as if she were in the chamber of a massive heart. As she and the mangled, dying Slattern sank lower said walls relaxed before them, only to constrict again behind them, as if the Throat were a literal gullet and the Anteverse a giant beast swallowing them whole._

_Pain wracked her systems, and her sight flickered in and out as the drift began to fail. Where she had felt Mako's presence was only blankness – she had blacked out under the strain of their final attack on Slattern. Raleigh hung on, but only just - he was exhausted, and was already preparing to sever their connection in order to do what must be done._

_She knew what he had to do… and she accepted it. If sacrificing herself meant saving humanity – and avenging all she and Raleigh and Mako had lost – then it was more than worth it._

_The Anteverse shimmered before her like an image on a holographic sticker, weird double-images shining with rainbow iridescence and lending an eerie beauty to an otherwise grotesque landscape. Everything had the look of flesh or hide or bone, as if this world was literally alive and the Precursors parasites that sapped it of everything they could before moving on. Even the sun high above them looked like a massive, bulging eye, marred by a round black stain that could have been an eclipse… or a giant pupil._

_She caught a glimpse of the Precursors themselves, ugly insectoid creatures that stared up at her with blank, sharklike eyes, before Raleigh wrenched off the Pons headset, cutting the handshake. Though she knew she was sinking down to the aliens' eye level, all she could see were flashes of the interior of her own Conn Pod, alarms pinging and warnings flickering on every screen as her beloved Ranger scrambled to finish what they had come to do. She longed to help him, but she was powerless to do more than hang on, to keep her systems functioning until the final moment._

_Finally, he activated the control… and a countdown registered in her computer core. She had seconds to live now. Seconds before her core detonated and destroyed her._

_And she would take down the Breach, and as many of these Precursors as she could, with her._

_Past the pain of her damages she could feel Raleigh climbing into an escape pod, and she poured the last of her strength into the mechanisms that sealed the capsule and released it. Once she was sure both he and Mako were safely away, she surrendered control. It was time._

_The countdown reached the final digits, and she silently counted down with them._

_Ten… for Yancy, torn from her by Knifehead._

_Nine… for Mako's family, obliterated by Onibaba._

_Eight… for Striker Eureka, who sacrificed himself to clear the way for her._

_Seven… for Cherno Alpha, crushed by Leatherback._

_Six… for Crimson Typhoon, torn apart by Otachi._

_Five… for Marshal Pentecost, who had granted her a second chance, and gave his life alongside Striker for her sake._

_Four… for Chuck Hansen, who had proven himself a true hero in his last moments._

_Three… for countless other Jaegers and Rangers felled by the Kaiju._

_Two… for the world that had lain for too long in the thrall of terror… and about to see a new dawn._

_Heat bloomed in her chest, and for a moment she swore she could feel the weight of a hundred stares on her, the dumbfounded stares of the Precursors who must have some inkling that something was about to happen… but were powerless to stop it. She felt no fear in that final moment – only relief that an era of blood and horror was coming to an end._

_One._

* * *

Despite the solemnity of the occasion, it was a beautiful day in Hong Kong as the Shatterdome laid its former commander to rest. The sky was an intense blue studded with fluffy white clouds, so bright it almost hurt to look at for very long. The ocean lay calm beneath that stunning sky, gentle breakers hissing upon the nearby shore and the cries of seabirds weaving through the music provided by Coyote's speakers. A light wind moved through the gathering, stirring the flowers laid out in Pentecost's memory and tousling the hair of all in attendance.

Perhaps it would have been more fitting for a storm to roll in on the day of the Marshal's funeral, Sasha thought. But somehow, she thought Pentecost would have wanted it this way. He had kept all their gazes fixed on the final battle, on winning the war at all costs… but she doubted he would have begrudged them the chance to move on once the war was over and won, to enjoy the future they strove so hard to save.

She didn't understand the lyrics to the song Coyote played in tribute to her Ranger – the lyrics were in Japanese, a language she only knew snippets of – but the emotion behind the song was clear anyhow. It was a song of mingled mourning and hope, of remembering the dead but continuing to live despite the loss. At Coyote's feet, Mako wept openly, her lips moving silently along to the words of the song.

Above her, Cherno shifted restlessly, and she could feel his longing to step over the human mourners and go to Coyote's side to hug and comfort her. Crimson, too, eased his weight from one foot to the other as he resisted a similar urge. Despite the occasion, Sasha almost smiled. Neither Cherno nor Crimson had been close to the gray Jaeger, and yet both had already accepted her as a friend, wanting to help her as best they could.

 _Jaegers stick together, Mama,_ Cherno told her. _All of us. We will help Coyote however we can._

Sasha nodded. "You take care of Coyote… the Rangers will take care of Mako. They both lost a father… and they may get some closure today, but they will still need whatever love and support we can give."

Cherno crooned in agreement, then returned his attention to the music.

Gipsy stood on Coyote's right, holding Striker's Conn Pod in her arms. That got a full-fledged smile from Sasha, and she quickly hid it behind her hand. When the Shatterdome crews had brought Striker Eureka's remains into the Jaeger bay, Gipsy had dashed forward and scooped the Mark V's head up in a hug, earning shouts of dismay from the technicians and a spate of irritated swearing from Striker that everyone present could "hear." The other Jaegers had been delighted to be reunited with one of their own, but it was obvious to Sasha that Gipsy harbored a special affection for Striker… one that would no doubt irritate Chuck and Raleigh to no end.

Finally, the song drew to a close, and Hercules stepped forward to stand beside the titanium-plated urn that carried Pentecost's ashes. The table bearing said urn was strewn with flowers, handwritten notes, photographs, medals, and other objects, reminding her of the photos she had seen of the offerings laid out for Striker by the islanders. Perhaps Pentecost hadn't been quite a god to the Jaeger program… but he had certainly been a hero and a legend, one that would never truly die even after his body had passed on.

Herc paused before the urn, jaw clenched as if trying to physically bite back his emotions. Then he reached up and tore the Team Striker patch from his shoulder and laid it on the table. Only then did he turn to face the Shatterdome personnel in attendance.

"There are no words," he said in a voice that, though quiet, carried to the edges of the gathering. "There are never the words when someone we've all looked up to passes on. And whether he died the death of a hero or on a sickbed, it doesn't matter. What matters is he's gone… and that's left a void that'll never be filled. Not really."

Coyote gave a shuddering keen. In response Cherno hummed softly, the sound rising and falling until it found harmony with Coyote's cry. Crimson added his own thrum, then Gipsy, until all four Jaegers were keening their tribute to Pentecost, a song of mourning and remembrance that left the hairs on Sasha's arms standing on end.

"Pentecost kept us all going when all hope seemed lost," Herc went on. "When everything seemed dark, he saw a light at the end of the tunnel and kept us pointed toward it. And perhaps most importantly… he believed in second chances. He didn't see failures, or lost causes – he saw opportunity. How many of us are still here today because Pentecost didn't give up on us even when the rest of the world wrote us off?"

Aleksis squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back. Raleigh and Mako both smiled through their tears, and the humming from Gipsy and Cherno intensified. Even Tendo and Newt seemed to straighten at that, and idly Sasha wondered at their histories – had Pentecost picked them up where others had dropped them, and given them new lives in the Jaeger program?

"We've lost a hero and a leader," Herc finished. "But though the man is gone, the hero lives on, if only in our memories and in the drift." He saluted. "Thank you, Marshal Stacker Pentecost. The world owes you a great debt."

Sasha and Aleksis raised their hands in salute, the gesture copied by every Ranger present – the triplets, Chuck, Raleigh, Mako, Dr. Lightcap, even Lance and Lexi. Even the Jaegers saluted the fallen Shatterdome commander, though Gipsy had to transfer Striker's head to one arm to perform the act. They held the salute for a long moment, paying silent tribute to the man who had played the most part in saving the world.

Then Mako stepped forward, reaching out to pick up the urn. She looked up at Coyote, who gave a solemn nod in reply. Mako nodded back, and she opened the vessel and tipped the ashes out, letting them scatter to the winds.

The funeral over, the Shatterdome personnel began to drift back into the base, their conversation muted in respect. Sasha made no move to join them yet – instead she made her way to the sidelines, where the press waited like jackals at a kill. A line of bright orange safety tape cordoned the area of the funeral off, and thankfully none of the reporters or photographers had been brazen enough to cross it, but they crowded as close as they dared, some leaning over the tape as if those precious extra inches would grant them better pictures.

She knew none of this media frenzy was for Pentecost, however – they had their eyes on a much bigger prize.

"That's Sasha Kaidonovsky!" someone shouted, and the tape bowed inward as the gang of reporters pressed closer. Sasha kept her expression blank as two microphones and a recording device were thrust into her face. The questions came thick and fast, overlapping each other and in multiple languages, and she only caught a handful.

"How long has the PPDC known that Jaegers are sentient?"

"Have the Jaegers always been mobile? When were the Rangers going to come forward with this information?"

"Can we get an interview with Cherno Alpha? Is he able to communicate with us?"

"Is this a publicity ploy to get more funding for the Jaeger program?"

"Silence!" she roared, and the mass of humanity backed up a few steps, though cameras continued to flash and click. In a calmer tone she replied "If you have any respect for the dead, you will leave. Marshal Choi has planned a press conference for tomorrow at noon, and you can bring your questions to him then."

"Mrs. Kaidonovsky, what are Cherno Alpha's thoughts regarding the passing of Marshal Pentecost?" one especially bold – or especially stupid – reporter asked.

"Did I not just get through saying where to bring your questions?" she demanded. "I am only here to tell you to go away. You will have your answers tomorrow."

"Can you tell us anything about…" The journalist trailed off, and her gaze moved upward, eyes widening. "Oh my god…"

Sasha didn't have to turn around to know that Cherno was looming over them, letting the weight of his presence do what his Ranger's words could not. The press backed away, some murmuring nervously, others still snapping pictures, as the Mark I folded his arms and stared balefully down at them. He didn't even bother to crouch – he was taking full advantage of his impressive height.

A low rumble issued from his engines, and three words rang through Sasha's mind with the force of a ringing gong. _LEAVE. MAMA. ALONE._

The reporters scattered, though Sasha noted that they didn't go terribly far. Cherno gave one last growl before sinking to his knees.

 _Did they bother you, Mama?_ His "voice" was softer now, but still edgy with anger.

"I'm all right, Cherno. Thank you. But you speaking to them will probably just raise more questions, you know."

He shrugged. _They'll know everything soon. I just wanted them to leave you alone. They were making you angry._

"I have been angry before without it hurting me, Cherno. But thank you."

He thrummed, satisfied, and pushed himself back to his feet. She patted his foot before heading back for the Shatterdome. Unfortunate that they couldn't rely on the Jaegers to scare the reporters off every time… but then, it wouldn't do for humanity to start fearing them now, when the second Kaiju War was still going in earnest.

Ever since Cherno and Gipsy's escapades in Hong Kong – escapades that had resulted in blowing the secret of the Jaegers once and for all – the media had been hounding the Shatterdome relentlessly. Tendo had ordered a complete lockdown of the base, allowing no one inside or out except on the most pressing of business, and had only lifted it temporarily for Pentecost's funeral. A few reporters had even tried breaking into the base to get their "scoop," though after Aleksis had literally thrown two of them out and Max had ripped out the seat of another's pants, no further attempts had been made.

Tendo had promised the media a full explanation at a press conference, but until then they could only weather the storm as best they could. Rumors on the news networks and social media abounded, and all the Shatterdome could hope to do was debunk the worst ones.

The Jaegers were all gathered around Gipsy's hangar, doubtless exchanging stories and updating Striker on everything he had missed since his disappearance. The Mark V's Conn Pod rested atop a temporary platform Crimson had made of storage crates, though occasionally one Jaeger or another would pick him up and point him in one direction or another. Probably attempting to explain or describe things to him, though given that he didn't have proper optical sensors installed yet, she wasn't sure how much good it would do.

"At least Striker's settling in," Caitlyn noted, matching her stride to Sasha's so they walked side by side. "Despite the lack of a body, of course."

"I only hope we can rebuild him," Sasha replied, frowning. "I am not sure Tendo has many resources remaining to rebuild another Jaeger."

"Mako's been quite resourceful in getting other Jaegers restored, from what I hear," Caitlyn pointed out.

"That is true… but she cannot work miracles."

Caitlyn looked like she wanted to argue, but she held back. "What do you think will happen now? I've been distanced from the actual Jaeger program for so long, I can't begin to predict what will happen now that this has all gone public."

Sasha sighed. "We see if the PPDC hands down a death sentence, I suppose. Tendo has feared from the beginning that they will order Cherno and the others destroyed if they learn the truth."

"They wouldn't dare." Caitlyn's eyes flashed in anger. "The Jaegers saved our world. Surely they wouldn't kill our heroes!"

"They tried to kill the Jaegers once before," Sasha reminded her. "How many were melted down to build the Wall? And of those destroyed, how many still burned with sentience before they were given to the smelters? No… the PPDC has no affection for the Jaegers. They would rather build a Wall of Life to hide behind, however ineffective it proves to be in the end."

Caitlyn bristled like a cat at those words. "I sure hope they send a representative instead of just making a video call. Because I'd sure like to give them a piece of my mind."

"Then you will have to wait in line," Sasha told her.

From the Jaegers' corner of the Shatterdome came a mental spate of curse words. Sasha and Caitlyn paused in their tracks to "listen," and they caught several mentions of _bloody creepy zombie_ and _the hell were they thinking_ amid the string of profanity.

"Someone just got introduced to Mustang Omega," Caitlyn noted.

"Has there been any progress made with him?" Sasha asked, grateful for the change in subject. "Or her? I suppose it could be female, like Gipsy or Coyote."

"If Mustang's personality leans toward male, female, or androgynous, there's been no sign of it." She shook her head, looking irritated for a whole new set of reasons. "The Rossis still insist that Mustang is only a weapon, and that wishing for him to be otherwise is stupid." She eyed Sasha warily. "They had a few choice remarks about the rest of the Rangers wanting their Jaegers to be something other than war machines, but I don't think you want to hear them."

"No," Sasha agreed. She was quite angry enough already without their thoughtless remarks enraging her further. "Something must be done about those two."

"I'm sure Tendo has something in mind," Caitlyn replied. "Though we'll see what happens when the media storm blows over, I suppose."

* * *

The Shatterdome's medical center normally didn't accept civilian patients, but an exception had been made in this case. No hospital in China – indeed, very few anywhere in the world – was equipped to deal with injuries inflicted by accidents with or abuse of drifting technology, but the Shatterdome doctors would at least have some idea on how best to help this patient. If nothing else, said doctors intended to learn all they could from this patient, and use their data to better help other victims.

Finally, in perhaps the ultimate act of irony, the Jaeger program's base of operations was perhaps the safest place for this unfortunate victim. With the Kaiju cult's temple in ruins and its devotees either in jail or scattered throughout Hong Kong, High Priestess Mikhail had no sanctuary in a city that had turned violently against her sect. In any other hospital she risked doctors denying her care simply out of spite… if an angry mob didn't storm in and tear her apart first. Perhaps it would have horrified her to know that the one place she was safe was in the headquarters of the Kaiju's greatest enemy, but in her current state they would never know.

Tendo Choi stood by with a grim expression, watching as the head medic made his final examination of Mikhail. Medical science wasn't his specialty, but even to his untrained eye, the High Priestess didn't look too healthy. Her eyes were bloodshot, dried blood still crusted her nose and upper lip, and her skin was pale and speckled with goosebumps. She trembled as if caught in a chill, forcing the doctor to grab her arm and hold it still in order to check the IV.

It was her expression that sent a shiver down his spine – a look of utter horror, eyes unfocused but still wide as if with fright, mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Whatever visions her Deep Ones had granted her, they were obviously not anything like she had hoped.

Newt and Hermann looked on as well, hanging back as if afraid to come any closer. It was Newt who finally spoke up – the biologist still held Spike in his arms, clinging to the giant louse as if he were a teddy bear. Not that Spike seemed to mind the attention – he chirred and nuzzled against his master's chest, looking refreshed after a good meal and a much-needed ammonia bath.

"How is she, Doc?" Was it Tendo's imagination, or did he look genuinely concerned for her?

"Physically, her injuries were minor," the doctor replied. "Some swelling of the brain, but that's going down. It'll take some time for the subconjunctival hemorrhaging – the bleeding in the eye – to subside, but that seems to be a common injury from an improper drift."

Tendo nodded. "You emphasized physical, though… so something else is wrong?"

"It'll take a brain scan to be a hundred percent sure," the doctor went on, "but judging by her unresponsiveness and body tremors, I would say she's chasing the RABIT."

"But she's no longer engaged in a neural handshake," Tendo pointed out.

"I know," the doctor replied, "but she's exhibiting the symptoms nonetheless. She should never have attempted a triple-drift with a Kaiju brain… and to be honest, I'm just shocked that the two of you aren't flat on your back with her."

"Just lucky?" Newt suggested with a shrug. "Or maybe we got off easy because we'd drifted with Kaiju brains before."

"Is there any chance of waking her up?" asked Tendo. "Of breaking the handshake?"

The doctor sighed. "The drifting tech is a relatively new science, and we're just barely scratching the surface of its effect on the human mind. Especially since now we're seeing drifts being made and maintained without equipment. Snapping someone out of chasing the RABIT used to mean shutting down the handshake or having their drift partner shake them out of it, but when she's not hooked up to anything or anyone and her drift partners have left the handshake already…" He shook his head. "It's anyone's guess when – or if – she'll wake up."

Tendo nodded. "Thank you, Doctor. Keep us updated on her condition." And he turned to leave.

"We're just going to leave her like she is?" asked Newt, hurrying after Tendo. "That's harsh."

"We haven't much choice," Hermann replied, not bothering to hide his anger toward the priestess. "We don't even know how to wake her up. And it's not as if she didn't bring this upon herself."

"Yeah, but it's still harsh. I still feel kinda bad for her."

"For God's sake, Newton…"

"Let him feel a little sympathy for her," Tendo advised. "You two DID see parts of her life in the drift. I'd say she deserves a little pity."

Truth be told, even he felt a little sorry for the High Priestess. Not just because of her fate as an unwilling witness to whatever the Precursors were doing – a background check of her full name, Fatima Mikhail, had revealed a sordid but tragic past. She had fled Pakistan at thirteen to escape an arranged marriage, only to end up in Shanghai as a prostitute. Several arrests and years of abuse later, she had finally found herself in Hong Kong, where she had vanished into the Bone Slums… and emerged as an acolyte, and later High Priestess, of the cult.

Perhaps, he thought, the cult had been her salvation, giving her something to live for after all she had been through. That didn't excuse her actions against the Jaegers or their science team, but all the same, he found he could spare some sympathy for her… and mourn her current fate.

"So what happens now?" asked Newt. "Are you going to kick us out again?"

Tendo shook his head. "After all you two have been through, I really don't have the heart to fire you again." Despite the raging headache brought on by everything that had happened in the past few days, he managed a chuckle. "But the two of you will be confined to your rooms for a few days until we're absolutely sure you're no longer having Precursor-related nightmares. I hope you understand."

Hermann nodded. "Caution, of course. But if my theory is correct, then Mikhail is monopolizing the drift by chasing the RABIT. The Precursors will be so occupied with her that they have no energy to spare to use us as organic spy drones."

"I'm just glad I haven't had one of those freaky dreams since then," Newt pointed out. "Still feel sorry for her, though…"

"Honestly, Newt, if I didn't know you better, I'd think you developed Stockholm Syndrome for her!"

"Hey, just because I can actually feel empathy doesn't mean I have the hots for her!"

Tendo watched the bickering scientists go, a faint smile on his face. He'd forgotten just how much he missed Dr. Geizler and Dr. Gottlieb. The Shatterdome had been a boring place without them.

He had a feeling that would be the last smile of the day, however, as he left the medical center and walked toward the lift. For though Gipsy and Cherno had rescued their science team from a fate worse than death, they had also attracted the attention of the PPDC. Not to mention other interested parties…

The walk to the Shatterdome's conference room couldn't last long enough. And despite there only being two other people present –the PPDC official and a woman he didn't recognize – somehow the chamber felt uncomfortably crowded. Not for the first time he wished they could have done this conference via video call.

"Marshal Choi," the PPDC official greeted crisply, extending a hand.

"Mr. Griffin," Tendo replied, taking his hand and giving it a firm but quick shake.

"Thank you for taking the time to arrange this meeting." Mr. Griffin's face remained a stern mask, but he sounded almost friendly. "I can imagine it was difficult to find a spare moment given recent… developments."

Tendo elected to ignore the statement and looked both Griffin and the woman over with a critical eye. The PPDC official, Douglas Griffin, was a fiftyish man with a strong Southern-US accent and salt-and-pepper hair smoothly combed forward to disguise a receding hairline. He had broad shoulders and a look about him that hinted that he had once been an athletic man before going to seed, and he dressed smartly in a navy-blue suit and forest-green tie. No different from any of the other PPDC delegates Tendo had locked horns with over the past several months, and he wasn't expecting this one to be any less stubborn.

He turned his attention to the woman. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Rain Morris," she replied in a lilting Australian accent. "And before you ask, yes, my parents had an odd taste in names." Chocolate-skinned and her dark hair woven into dozens of tiny braids that spilled down her shoulders, Rain looked less like anyone official and more like a bohemian artist, wearing an embroidered green vest over a white T-shirt and brown wide-legged pants. Upon closer inspection, Tendo realized the embroidery on her vest formed images of various Jaegers – Brawler Yukon and Striker Eureka on the front, with Tactic Ronin locked in combat with an unfamiliar Kaiju on the back.

"Are you with Mr. Griffin?" Tendo asked.

Griffin chuckled. "Does she really look like a representative of the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps to you?"

"Not that I'd want to be associated with anything political," Rain replied smoothly, raising an eyebrow. "I'm here representing the Sydney Kaiju-War Memorial Museum."

His heart plummeted to the level of his stomach, but he managed to keep a pleasant smile on his face. "I apologize that we haven't been able to refund the payment for Cherno Alpha, ma'am. I can assure you that's a high priority for us, and as soon as we can acquire the funds-"

"Why don't we sit down and discuss this?" Griffin interrupted, and though his tone was genial there was a hardness to his eyes Tendo didn't like. "It shouldn't take long to get everything settled, and then we can be out of your hair."

Tendo nodded, and he pulled a chair out for Rain before sitting down himself. True to his word, Griffin wasted no time getting to the point.

"Look, we all know what the best course of action here is. And I think you'd agree with me that it'd be far more beneficial in the long run to just shut these Jaegers down at once."

Tendo had expected that, but heat flared through his body in response anyhow.

"We all know that for all the good the Jaegers have done, the amount of property damage they can do is staggering," Griffin went on. "Let's face it – they're war machines, and people find war machines terrifying. And that's WITH a human in the pilot's seat or whatever you call it. Now that they're autonomous creatures, how can we even think to keep them under control? They could rebel against us and destroy cities, taking countless lives, before we can destroy them. It's foolish to keep them active any longer than they've already been."

"What you're suggesting is murder," Tendo replied, voice quiet but cold.

"Murder? Don't be ridiculous. These are machines, Marshal Choi."

"Machines that have gained sentience and intelligence," Tendo replied. "They are alive, Mr. Griffin. They may not have organic brains or hearts, but they're every bit as alive as you and me. It may not be a form of life that we fully understand, but it's life nonetheless. And I don't know about you, but I joined the Corps to save lives, not take them."

Griffin's smile vanished, and with it his affable act. "May I remind you, Marshal, that the Jaeger program exists only because the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps requires them to protect humanity until we've finished the Wall of Life."

"Fat lot of good the Wall of Lies has done us so far," Rain muttered.

Griffin glowered at her, then returned his attention to Tendo. "You can preach about ethics and the meaning of life all you like, but remember that in the end, it's the PPDC that calls the shots. We have a world to protect, and we can't afford to have the Shatterdome playing science lab with our mechs while we could be focused on more important things like the Wall. So as much as I'm sure you've grown attached to your toys, we simply can't afford the distraction or the cost at this time." He gestured toward Ms. Morris. "Shut Cherno down and give him to the museum as promised. The others… well, the Wall always needs raw materials."

Tendo narrowed his eyes, and it took all his strength not to raise his voice to a ringing shout. "This 'playing science lab,' as you call it, hasn't been just playing around. We've been trying to understand how the defenders of humanity work, and what brought around this change in them. And in the process, we've not only learned how to help the Jaegers, but found that they can be even more effective protectors of humanity now that they are fully alive and self-mobile. They are dedicated to protecting humanity, to the point that they will lay down their lives for us. They have shown love, devotion, fear, grief, every emotion that humans are capable of. And at any moment they could have abandoned the Shatterdome and gone to live their own lives… but they've stayed on. Because their loyalty, their dedication to defending mankind from the Kaiju, is that strong.

"Even setting that aside… we are just barely scratching the surface of what we can learn about the Jaegers, and about ourselves and the bonds we forge with them in the process. The Jaegers are more than just weapons – they can teach us about the drift, about the forging of artificial intelligences, about the powers of the mind. Hell, even anthropologists can learn a thing or two – and I guarantee more than one would kill for the chance to come here, to watch a society and culture emerge and evolve right under their noses.

"And yet despite all this… despite all the Jaegers have done for us, and can and WILL continue to do… you would have them killed, just because you want to build the Wall and hide behind it. Just because living Jaegers are _inconvenient_ for you."

Griffin clenched his jaw. "They're damned inconvenient for the whole world! Dammit, Tendo, the world's not ready for giant robots! We're still reeling from the Kaiju, and now you want to inflict a whole new breed of monster on us! Do you honestly think the public will welcome living Jaegers with open arms?! Because I sure as hell don't!"

Tendo didn't reply – he didn't have an answer to that. And he had a sickening feeling that Griffin was right, that the world wasn't prepared for this… that they would be no more accepting of Cherno and Gipsy and their kind than they were of the Kaiju…

"They're ready."

Tendo and Griffin both turned to face Rain. She offered Tendo a gentle smile… though the smile was less gentle when she turned it toward Griffin. In fact, Tendo could almost call it vindictive.

"I dunno where Mr. Griffin is getting all his bullshit," Rain noted, "but I can tell you one thing – the very thing I was about to tell Mr. Choi before Mr. Griffin butted in. The Sydney Museum didn't send me to collect on a debt."

Tendo blinked. "Then why did they send you?"

"To deliver a message." She slid an envelope toward him. "With your permission, we'd like to set up a fund for Cherno Alpha. We would set up an exhibit dedicated to him – photos, video of some of his battles, maybe some badges or spare parts or any other items you could spare – and in return we'd collect donations from people who'd like to continue to support him. Of course, we'd consider the original payment for Cherno our first donation."

He sucked in his breath. "Ms. Morris… are you sure?"

"Just Rain," she replied. "And we're very sure, Mr. Choi. You know how many donations for the Jaegers have come pouring in since the news broke? Not just at our museum, but around the world? The world loves the Jaegers, and they want to show that love somehow." She flashed her vindictive smile at Griffin again. "Not ready, my ass – the world's taking this news very well. In fact, with the exception of some loony fundamentalist groups, they're eating it up."

"You're lying," Griffin snapped. "There's no way…"

In response Rain pulled a tablet from her bag, made a few swipes, and set it down before the two men. A slideshow played out before them… photos of crowds bearing signs, waving at the cameras, some even wearing homemade costumes of the more famous Jaegers.

"See that? That's the admission line for the Sydney Museum right as I left to come here. See that? That's a crowd outside the Seattle Shatterdome, petitioning to have it reopened so Gipsy Danger can return to her home country. See those? Those are mementos left at Oblivion Bay for the Jaegers who fell in combat. See that? That's the mob protesting at one of the build sites for the Wall of Life. Oops, you probably shouldn't have seen that one… the protestors hosed some of the workers down with red paint. Not that I don't agree with the sentiment, but the workers are just doing their jobs, they didn't melt Jaegers down…"

Griffin's face went a rather striking shade of violet, and he glared back and forth between Rain and Tendo as she continued to swipe through the pictures, telling a brief story about each as she went. Tendo, for his part, felt a genuine smile of his own forming. And for the first time in a long time, he felt hope – not just hope for the Jaegers or the Rangers, but for the program as a whole. Perhaps the revelation of the Jaegers' true nature would work to their advantage after all.


	25. Christmas Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not precisely a "story" chapter - more of a side-story or spinoff, albeit one that fits into the storyline proper. This bit takes place between Part 24 and the upcoming Part 25, so consider it Chapter 24.5, if you will. And yes, I had to write a Domovoi Christmas special. Because giant robots trying to celebrate Christmas is adorable to me.

According to Dr. Newton Geizler's claims, he'd been in a band for a few years before committing himself full-time to xenobiology. Dr. Hermann Gottlieb had evidence of that, at least – CDs of the Black Velvet Rabbits occasionally found their way on his side of the lab along with the usual Kaiju entrails and empty drink cups, and the biologist's name featured prominently in the liner notes. And occasionally his fellow scientist would subject the entire Shatterdome to his band's contributions to the musical world… though ever since Cherno had become self-mobile he had only done that once, as the Jaeger had whined and groaned the entire time and the Kaidonovskys had lodged a complaint on his behalf.

But one certainly wouldn't know Newt had any musical inclination from listening to his voice, the mathematician groused as he watched Newt flit about the lab like a deranged butterfly, belting out a song at the top of his lungs as he festooned the lab with tawdry decorations.

" _City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style!"_ he howled at the top of his lungs, standing on a table in order to hang a string of lights. _"In the air there's a feeling of Christmas!"_

"I can tolerate your decorations if you keep them on your side of the labs, but for God's sake stop singing!" Hermann demanded. "You're attracting the Shatterdome cats!"

"Oh come on, Mr. Grinch, have a little holiday spirit!" Newt retorted as he jumped down from the table and went to plug the lights in. "There! This place looks a whole lot better now!"

"That all depends on your definition of better," Hermann grumbled as he surveyed the sparkling yuletide damage. Ropes of glittering garland and multicolored lights hung in merry swags from the walls, and a ratty-looking artificial tree stood at a precarious tilt in one corner, its branches weighed down with so many mismatched ornaments that it was a wonder the thing didn't collapse under its own mass. Wreaths occupied any wall space not dominated by Kaiju anatomy charts or monster movie posters, and clumps of holly the size of pineapples hung from every light fixture. Even the skull of Otachi Jr., taking pride of place in one corner of the lab, bore a Santa hat atop its crown, as if the addition of a goofy Christmas decoration could make a Kaiju any less terrifying.

"Dare I ask where you got all this?" Hermann demanded.

"My uncle shipped it to me," Newt replied nonchalantly. "Found most of it in storage. I figured that with that time of year rolling around, we should do something to make this place a little more cheery."

"Did it not occur to you that not all the Shatterdome personnel celebrate Christmas?"

"So? They can decorate their rooms or hangars or work areas for Hanukkah or Solstice or the Flying Spaghetti Monster's birthday or whatever it is they celebrate! I still think this place needs some holiday cheer." He straightened his tie, one garishly patterned to look like a decorated tree with lights that actually flickered and blinked. "I'm going to lunch. I'm assuming you're working through it again, so want me to get you anything?"

Hermann glowered, then sighed and relented. "A cup of soup and a strong coffee. Toast only if it's fresh. You'd think that with the increased funding they'd get us something other than three-day-old bread here."

"Hey, the world doesn't rebound from a Kaiju War overnight," Newt pointed out. "Don't work too hard, all right?"

Hermann watched him walk out, shaking his head. The other scientist still got on his nerves, but at least Newt had his health in mind, and made sure he got rest, food, caffeine, and other basic needs. One didn't survive several weeks in the "care" of the Kaiju Cult without developing a sense of comradeship with their fellow captive, it seemed.

A plaintive whimper sounded behind him, and he turned to find three miserable sets of eyes staring up at him. Max and Bruno wore headbands set with reindeer antlers, and the elder bulldog was gazing at Hermann with a pleading expression while the younger pup scratched furiously at the side of his head in an effort to dislodge his headgear. Spike gurgled and gave a full-body shudder, as if the wreath of holly around his middle were irritating his carapace.

Hermann sighed. "On Newton's behalf, I apologize. He does things like this; you just learn to get used to it."

Spike gurgled again and ripped several leaves and a scattering of berries from his collar with his mandibles, spitting them out at Hermann's feet.

"I quite agree, bug. I quite agree."

* * *

Gipsy turned to the disembodied Conn Pod resting on the platform beside her, glaring as best she could without actual eye sockets. _What's so funny?_

_Nothin'._

_You don't laugh at nothing. Spit it out._

_Just think it's amusin' that when ya first got here we couldn't get ya to talk. Now we can't get ya to shut up._

_You weren't even here when she first got here,_ Crimson reminded him. _And what's wrong with her talking about something that her Rangers are excited for? Even if it does seem a little silly at first glance?_

_A little silly? It's bloody ridiculous!_

_Says the talking head,_ Gipsy retorted, giving Striker a cuff over the top of his helm.

_Oi, stop that!_

_What, can't handle the truth?_

_I'll give ya a truth t' handle, ya sassy lil' sheila!_

_How, by rolling on me?_

_Break it up, you four,_ Coyote growled.

 _I wasn't even saying anything,_ Cherno protested.

 _Break it up regardless,_ Coyote advised. _Don't make me start knocking Conn Pods together._

Striker grumbled and Gipsy huffed, but both Jaegers went silent. The Shatterdome's Jaegers – those capable of conversing, at least – had gathered near Gipsy's hangar to exchange small talk and pass the time. Somehow Christmas had been mentioned – apparently the human holiday was approaching quickly – and Gipsy had practically burst with excitement. According to her the Becketts had loved the holiday, and she was greatly looking forward to seeing it celebrated in the Shatterdome in some capacity.

 _Why?_ Coyote finally asked, voicing the question that was lurking in the computer cores of every other Jaeger. _Why insist we celebrate a human holiday? We're not humans. What use is this holiday to us?_

 _Well… uh…_ Gipsy fidgeted her fingers together as she pondered that. _I dunno. I'm not even sure why humans celebrate it. I just know it was very important to my Rangers… or at least to Raleigh. Mako celebrated it with Pentecost, too, so it must have had some importance to her, too._

 _My Rangers celebrated it as well,_ Cherno offered. _Though not this time of year. Their Christmas was in January, not December._

 _Weird,_ Striker huffed. _Then again, them Russians gotta do everything their way._

 _And Aussies aren't the same?_ asked Crimson mildly.

 _I wonder if they can get a tree here,_ Gipsy mused. _They might have to ship one from somewhere. Do pine trees even grow in China?_

 _Not pines, but a few kinds of conifers,_ Crimson supplied. _Though not many people in China celebrate Christmas. The Weis did sometimes, but they mostly saw it as a Western holiday that leaked into popular culture._

_Oh… does that mean we can't get a Christmas tree here?_

_No, not necessarily. We might have to settle for a small one or an artificial one, though._

_Still don't see the point in draggin' a dead tree in the base,_ Striker griped. _What's the point?_

 _They decorate it,_ Gipsy explained. _Shiny ornaments, lights, sometimes even fake snow. They do it because… uh… I don't know! It's a tradition!_

_Mighty stupid one if ya ask me._

_You take that back!_

_Okay, Striker, how did YOUR Rangers celebrate Christmas?_ Crimson asked, hoping to defuse the situation before Coyote could intervene. _What do you remember the Hansens doing for the holiday?_

_Not prissin' up a bloomin' tree, that's for sure. When Chuck's mom was still alive they decorated the house with palm leaves an' flowers, then had a barbecue with a bunch of other families on the beach. After th' Kaiju War started an' Miss Hansen passed on, they cut back on the decoratin' but still did the barbecue, though they moved THAT to someone's backyard._

_A barbecue for Christmas?_ Gipsy repeated, puzzlement in her tone. _And the beach? That's weird. How did they not freeze themselves?_

 _Australia's south of the equator,_ Crimson explained. _The seasons are reversed there. Christmas falls during their summer, not their winter._

_Oh, right. I forgot about that._

_You said your Rangers sometimes celebrated Christmas, Crimson,_ said Cherno. _Did they have a tree?_

Crimson shook his Conn Pod. _They never had the money or space for one. The only Christmas trees they saw were in the big shopping centers in the city. They would decorate their apartment with paper chains, though, and exchange small gifts with each other. Their landlord would give them a bag of apples every Christmas too – which to them was a huge luxury. I suppose apples are a traditional Christmas gift in China. What about your Rangers, Cherno?_

Cherno shrugged. _A lot of it had to do with food… and since we don't need food or fuel the same way they do, I didn't ever pay much attention to that. But I remember stories from Papa… about Father Frost and Baboushka and the Ice Dragon…_

 _What the bloody hell's Father Frost or Baboosha or whatever it is?_ Striker demanded. _An' the blasted Ice Dragon sounds too much like a Kaiju to me._

 _It wasn't a Kaiju,_ Cherno replied, _though Papa says some of the Kaiju that attacked Russia were named after Russian myths – Bannick, Rusalka, Baba Yaga, Kaschei, and others._ He leaned back on his hands, settling into a sort of storyteller mode. _Father Frost and his granddaughter supposedly go from home to home on New Year's Day, giving gifts._

 _Like Santa Claus!_ Gipsy exclaimed.

 _Father Christmas,_ Coyote corrected.

 _Whatever,_ Striker huffed. _What about that Baba-thing?_

 _Baboushka,_ Cherno corrected. _An old woman who travels the world looking for the Christ child, and who leaves gifts for any child she sees._

 _Christ child?_ repeated Striker.

 _That's why humans celebrate Christmas,_ Coyote told him. _To celebrate the birth of a god. Did you not know that?_

_Herc an' Chuck ain't exactly religious._

_Not many humans are anymore,_ Crimson added. _Even the Kaiju Cult's been mostly dissolved. Then again, can you blame them? I mean… if there is a god, wouldn't He or She have done something to close the Breach and protect the world from the Kaiju?_

A moment of uncomfortable silence reigned, and the Jaegers glanced sheepishly around the bay, as if worried their conversation had been overheard. The techs and mechanics continued on their business, oblivious to their conversation. But it was still a long moment before any of them ventured to speak again.

 _Maybe whatever god or gods there are DID do something,_ Gipsy suggested. _They created us._

Striker cackled. _You sayin' Dr. Lightcap's a goddess? Won't she be chuffed to hear that._

 _Not like that!_ Gipsy huffed, smacking his helm. _I mean like… like inspiring her to create us. Or making sure we had lives of our own… souls, I guess they're called. Making circumstances come together just right for us to be built, to operate smoothly, to have just the right Rangers matched up to us… to give us life. Maybe divine intervention wasn't needed… because WE were the right answer. WE were the intervention._

Crimson gave a huff of his own. _I'm not sure I like the idea of chalking our existence up to an unseen, remote god. I would rather trust the idea that Lightcap and our Rangers brought us to life. Because we have proof of that. And I would rather honor and celebrate someone who was directly responsible for our creation than someone who merely "inspired" us, or created "circumstances."_

 _Always the logical one, aren't you?_ Coyote noted.

Crimson shrugged. _What other way is there to be?_

Silence. Then a snort from Striker. _Well, THIS got philosophical in a hurry. Lighten up, mates. It's Christmas. An' even if us Jaegers don't exactly have a stake in it, our Rangers do. That's enough reason to celebrate it alongside the humans, right?_

 _Well said,_ Gipsy replied, nodding eagerly. _The question is how to celebrate it. We have so many people from so many countries here, and they all seem to celebrate it in different ways. How do we do something that everyone here will appreciate?_

Coyote cocked her head to one side. _Christmas… apples, Father Frost, Father Christmas, Baboushka… gift-giving seems to be a theme. Perhaps a gift from us is needed. From us to those who gave us life, and defended us from those who would destroy us._

 _But what can we give?_ Cherno asked. _We have nothing to give them._

 _Not necessarily,_ Crimson replied. _True, we may not have material possessions… but surely an act of appreciation would not go unnoticed. If nothing else… the Shatterdome seems to not have a Christmas tree, as Gipsy pointed out. And that may not be a universal symbol of Christmas, but it's widely recognized, or at least enough that most here would appreciate it._

 _An' where ya gonna find a Christmas tree in Hong Kong?_ Striker demanded.

_Hmm… there's the trick. Though perhaps a substitute would be acceptable…_

As one, four Conn Pods turned toward another hangar, one currently quiet as the technicians who normally serviced it were busy with other projects or enjoying a quick break. The same wicked idea seemed to cross all their computer cores at once, and Cherno, Crimson, Gipsy, and Coyote immediately hunched together, lowering their mental voices to conspiring "whispers."

 _Crimson, scavenge whatever you can from in the base as decoration,_ Coyote ordered. _Striker, help him by pointing out anything likely. Cherno, go outside and collect things – comb the beach if you have to. Gipsy, you are the Jaeger most welcome in the city. Search there. Try to take things that will not inconvenience the humans too much._

 _Yes, Coyote._ Gipsy fired off a salute, then dissolved into mental giggles. _This is going to be fun!_

* * *

Mako was combing through Striker Eureka's blueprints on her tablet, making notes as to which components they could find replacements for and which would have to be built from scratch, when a familiar smell roused her back to the real world. Despite priding herself in her self-discipline, her mouth watered and her stomach gave a demanding rumble. She hadn't smelled that in a long time… and it brought back memories…

"Happy holidays!" Raleigh exclaimed, thumping the bucket of fried chicken on the table before sitting across from her.

"Raleigh!" she exclaimed, a grin blooming on her lips. "How did you know?"

"Newt dropping a not-so-subtle hint," he laughed as he handed her a stack of napkins. "He told me that it's custom for families in Japan to eat at KFC for Christmas dinner – something American soldiers started but the Japanese picked up on. I know we've got a week before Christmas Eve, but I figured there wasn't any harm in splurging a little early."

"He was right," she replied, selecting a chicken leg and a napkin. She bit into the leg, savoring the crispy, greasy coating and the salty-sweet meat beneath it. Such food had been a rare treat for her family, and her father had been forced to make reservations months in advance for them to get a booth at the nearest KFC restaurant, but it had always been the highlight of the holiday for her. Pentecost had continued the tradition after her family had died, knowing how important it was to her even as he also taught her the more British ways of celebrating the season.

"So do you have any plans for the holidays?" asked Raleigh, grabbing a chicken breast and tearing into it with gusto.

She shook her head. "Staying here, with the Jaegers. Gipsy has been excited about Christmas. She must have picked it up from you."

Raleigh laughed. "Our family always made a huge production out of Christmas – decorating the house, having the big Christmas dinner, going caroling through the neighborhood, the whole bit. I guess she's seen enough of it through the drift that it made an impression." He took another bite of chicken, chewed, swallowed, and wiped at his mouth with a napkin. "Only family I have left now is Gipsy, though. So… I guess I'm staying here for Christmas too."

Mako suppressed a sigh as she set aside the bones from her drumstick and reached for a wing. One of the consequences of Pentecost's tendency to collect all manner of strays and outcasts under his wing – said strays and outcasts often had no families to return to, or at least families who would accept them. As such, holidays tended to be lonely affairs for those in the Jaeger program.

Of the Shatterdome personnel Mako knew, only Hermann and the Rossis were leaving for the holidays – Hermann back to his family in Germany, the Rossis to stay with their parents in Las Vegas. Well, at least things would be relatively calm with Mustang Omega's Rangers out of the picture, however temporarily, even if Hermann's absence would make Newt mopey and irritable for the next couple of weeks…

She let her sigh escape as two irate voices broke into her reverie. Speak of the devils…

"I don't care if they're giant mecha, I'm gonna kill 'em!" Lance roared.

"They've gone too far this time!" Lexie added, storming up to Raleigh and Mako, eyes flashing in rage. "If you're going to play Frankenstein's monster with your Jaegers, fine, but can't you freaking keep them under control?"

"What happened?" Mako demanded, wiping her hands and pushing herself to her feet. "Is anyone hurt?"

"They're gonna be hurting in a few minutes," Lance growled. "Was this your idea, Beckett? Some kind of sick joke?"

"What are you talking about?" Raleigh demanded with a scowl.

"I'm pretty sure you put Gipsy up to this," Lance retorted, shaking a finger in Raleigh's face. "It'd be up your alley, wouldn't it? Messing with our Jaeger and blaming it on yours…"

"Get out of my face," Raleigh ordered. "And I don't order Gipsy to do anything! She's her own creature now – she and I work together. I don't give her orders like she's a slave or a dog or something."

"What the hell's goin' on here?" Hercules barked, storming up at that moment. "Rossis, back the hell off!"

Lance lowered his hand and stepped back, though he still looked irate. Lexie just glared at the elder Ranger.

"Those Jaegers made a mess of Mustang Omega," she snapped. "We came out into the hangar to find he was covered with… stuff."

"Stuff?" Mako frowned. "What sort of stuff?"

"Junk," Lance replied. "Just random garbage like tree branches, wires, lights… I dunno what they're trying to pull with it, but it's not funny."

At that, Raleigh's expression shifted from angry to puzzled. "Lights?"

"Yeah, lights! Like they ripped them straight off a business of some kind."

Raleigh's brow furrowed as he pondered that. "I wonder…" And he took off at a brisk jog. Mako hurried behind him, worried but also curious. If this really was Gipsy's doing, what was she trying to accomplish?

They emerged in the Jaeger bay to find all four sentient Jaegers – five if you counted Striker's head cradled in Gipsy's arms – standing on either side of Mustang Omega's hangar, all expressionless but somehow managing to exude a sense of eager pride regardless. Gipsy even rocked back and forth on her heels, as if delighted with her handiwork. Cherno, too, shifted from foot to foot, practically glowing with excitement, and Coyote beamed smugly. Only Crimson seemed to sense that they'd done something in violation of some set of rules, but even then he didn't look contrite at all – if anything, he looked as if he expected punishment but was nonetheless unrepentant.

As for Mustang Omega… perhaps "covered in junk" was the wrong term. Yes, his frame was draped with all manner of cast-off detritus – fresh branches ripped from trees, fronds of kelp and seaweed, scraps of metal, street signs, and even strings of Christmas lights that someone had probably "borrowed" from a business trying to attract holiday business. But there was a carefully constructed order to how said items were draped and hung from Mustang's armor, a deliberateness that the Rossis had overlooked. Some of the scraps of metal had been twisted or cut into recognizable shapes like snowflakes or bells, while others had simply been scraped and rubbed until they glittered and shimmered in the light. And perched between the Mark VI's shoulders, in place of a proper Conn Pod, was a massive star cut from a sheet of corrugated metal.

Mako smothered a smile behind her hand. Just when she thought that the Jaegers had ceased to surprise her, they came up with something new to do the job.

Herc, for his part, showed no such restraint and belted out a laugh. "Lookit that! We got ourselves a Christmas tree in the Shatterdome! Love it. Don't change it."

"What the hell?!" screeched Lance. "That's our Jaeger! Are you really just going to let them vandalize it?!"

"For starters, that ain't your Jaeger," Herc retorted. "That's Shatterdome property. An' so long as it ain't damaged, havin' a little extra décor on it ain't hurtin' a thing."

"What if a Kaiju attacks?" Lexie protested. "How are we supposed to keep it combat-ready when it looks like that?"

"You two are leavin' for two weeks, what do you care? An' it ain't like we don't got other Jaegers…"

While the Rossis continued to bicker, Mako felt a gentle "nudge" from Gipsy. The blue Jaeger looked fixedly at her new Ranger, and Mako could feel a pang of anxiety from her.

_Are we in trouble?_

Mako laughed and shook her head. "No, you aren't. You made Marshal Hansen laugh. I think that means you're okay."

"You brightened up the Shatterdome for the holidays," Raleigh added. "I think that counts for something. Thank you, Gipsy." He eyed Mustang's new décor curiously. "Dare I ask where you got most of that, though? I don't think Hong Kong's going to be too happy with you."

Gipsy glanced down at the disembodied Conn Pod in her arms, then back to her Rangers. _Striker says Hong Kong can sit on it. We protected them for so long, we can take something back for once._ She hesitated, then pressed on. _Is it bad that I agree with him?_

"We'll let it go this once," Raleigh replied. "Just don't make stealing a habit. And if we're still here next year, we'll get you guys a real tree to decorate, okay?"

 _Okay!_ Gipsy bobbed her Conn Pod up and down in an eager nod. Mako gave another laugh. They weren't going to have to spend Christmas alone after all. Not so long as the Jaegers were here to brighten their spirits.


	26. A Face From the Past

"Lower! Lower! Almost got it…"

_Lightcap-dammit, you idjits! You got it on backwards!_

"For the last time, Striker, it ain't backwards! They've just made some changes to the front! Quit your whinin' already!"

_I ain't whinin'! I'm statin' a fact! I ain't fightin' Kaiju with my bloody head on backwards!_

"Oh, dammit, Striker, just let 'em do their job!"

_Well, how would YOU like it if some doctor put YOUR head on backwards, Chuck?_

"Humans don't work that way, now shut up and let 'em finish already!"

_Sure, you can be patient about all this, it ain't YOUR body in pieces!_

Marshal Hansen shook his head, looking torn between laughing and groaning. "Never thought I'd be happy to hear those two goin' at each other's throats again. God, it's good to have 'em back."

Tendo nodded in response, then returned his attention to Striker's assembly. The two Marshals watched from the LOCCENT as the Shatterdome's new cranes – a generous donation from the steel magnate that had long supplied the Jaeger program with raw materials – surrounded Striker Eureka's hangar, lowering a massive torso onto gleaming new legs. Most Jaegers from Mark IV on had at least one set of replacement components kept in reserve for quick repairs, though as Shatterdome after Shatterdome had been decommissioned said components had either been melted down or sold off. Striker's spare parts had been just hours from the auction block, ready to be sold to a private collector with far more money than sense… but at the last minute Rain had intervened, and the auction had been cancelled.

Less than a month ago, he would have called it a miracle had the Sydney museum agreed to not seek a refund for the purchase of Cherno's remains. Never in his wildest fantasies had he dreamed that the museum to go above the call of duty and not only agree to sponsor Cherno, a Jaeger not even native to their soil, but spread the word to other museums and pro-Jaeger organizations. Nor had he anticipated the incredible outpouring of support from the world – not just the nations of the Pacific Rim that had been plagued by the Kaiju, but almost every nation of the world.

The outpouring of generosity and support was nothing short of staggering to Tendo. Dozens of pro-Jaeger organizations were squabbling for the right to sponsor the other sentient Jaegers, or campaigning to have other Jaegers rebuilt or brought to the Hong Kong Shatterdome for revival. Protests raged throughout the world at the news that the PPDC, in retaliation for Marshal Choi refusing to deactivate the Jaegers, was terminating all funding for the Jaeger program. Petitions circulated to re-open Shatterdomes around the world, and donations of all sizes poured into the Jaeger program's coffers – from a few crumpled dollars and a crayon drawing stuffed in an envelope by a hopeful child to million-dollar checks written out by celebrities or corporations hoping to make their own mark… or just generate good publicity for themselves.

There were detractors, of course. Conspiracy theorists cried foul, claiming the entire thing was a hoax. Religious fundamentalists screamed that man-made machines coming to life could only be the work of the devil and/or a sign of the coming apocalypse. And a handful of alarmists echoed Griffin's claims that sentient Jaegers were every bit as dangerous as Kaiju, and demanded they be destroyed. But those voices remained in the minority – the rest of the world seemed perfectly happy to welcome intelligent Jaegers with open arms.

There was still much work to do, he knew. The Precursor base was still out there, building new Kaiju to send out against the Shatterdome, and there were still other Jaegers to rescue. But for the first time, Tendo allowed himself to harbor a flicker of hope… hope that they could win this renewed war and establish a future for the Jaegers.

"Chuck an' I owe Rain a huge thank-you for this," Herc noted. "She's made Striker VERY happy. Even if he don't sound like it."

Tendo nodded, unable to suppress a smile of his own. "It's unfortunate that we didn't think to keep spare parts on hand for Gipsy Danger. She's going to have to make do with her secondhand parts a little longer, at least until we can fabricate new limbs."

"When'd you become a sourpuss? At least we got means to make her new limbs now! Blast, when's that girl comin' back? I could kiss her for this."

"Get in line," Tendo laughed. "Even with the PPDC officials cutting our funding, we've had enough donations rolling in that we can fully repair all our current Jaegers, and keep the Shatterdome going for at least another year. Beyond that…" He sighed.

"What now? Blast it, can't you accept a little good luck?"

"We can't run on luck and generosity forever, though. And I doubt the world is going to continue to donate in such amounts for very long. We need a way to make the Shatterdome self-sustainable, or at least secure permanent funding."

"One thing at a time, Choi," Herc advised. "Focus on fightin' the first Kaiju before you look to the Breach for more. Let's get our Jaegers up an' runnin', an' kick the Precursor bastards back to their 'verse. Beyond that… we'll take it as it comes."

Tendo nodded, relenting for now. "There's still one more matter to clear up, though. We made a promise to Dr. Lightcap. Now that we have the funding, we need to go through with it."

"Right, Brawler Yukon. The Canadian museum get back to you yet?"

At that, he sighed. "It figures, you know. Almost every Jaeger museum out there is tripping over themselves to support us or give back the spare parts they've had on display, and the one holdout is the museum actually holding a living Jaeger."

Herc's jaw dropped. "Yer kiddin' me."

"I wish I was." He stared down into his coffee mug, then sipped at the contents, never minding that it had gone cold long ago. "I told them we were prepared to offer much more than they originally paid for him, and they're refusing to budge. Even pointing out that he was alive didn't help. I'm starting to wonder if they didn't accept a payout from the PPDC to refuse to sell to us."

Herc actually growled at that. "Ain't surprised at that. Ain't the head of the PPDC Canadian? Never thought I'd peg a Canadian as evil, but there ya go."

Tendo snorted, wincing as the smothered laugh forced coffee up his nostrils, and spent a moment trying to compose himself before he could answer. "At any rate, we'll keep trying. Through legal channels if at all possible, but if worse comes to worse…" He let the sentence hang.

Herc raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggestin' we steal a Jaeger? Though technically I guess it'd be kidnapping, wouldn't it?"

"I would rather call it a rescue," Tendo replied. "And while I hate to put a black mark on the Shatterdome's reputation, I despise the thought of leaving Brawler isolated any longer than we have to. He needs his surviving Ranger, needs more of his kind close by… okay, I know that look, Hansen. What are you planning?"

"What look?" Herc demanded, not even bothering to hide his smug grin. "An' who says we need to stoop to kidnapping? Why not just nudge things along on our own? Nothin' the museum can do if Brawler walks outta there under his own power, right?"

Tendo opened his mouth to protest, then slowly shut it. Only a Hansen would have the gall to suggest such an audacious plan, one far too risky to consider, let alone endorse. It was ludicrous, even insane…

_Insane enough for a Ranger to pull off. And if success means rescuing another Jaeger – the first Jaeger, no less – it's worth the risks._

"Talk to Dr. Lightcap first," he told Herc. "It'll only work if we have her cooperation. Then go to Dr. Geizler and see if he's improved on his homemade neural bridge yet. It's more low-tech than I would like, but at this point a portable option's our only hope."

Herc nodded. "Will do. An' don't worry." He grinned. "If Lightcap's anythin' like the rest of us Rangers, she'll agree to it 'fore we've finished talking."

"Just make sure we have a complete plan first. We'll only get one shot at this. We need to make it count."

* * *

" _Check."_

Cherno chirped in confusion, chassis listing to one side as he considered the makeshift board before him. _That's not check._

_Knight is in position to take King. Check._

_Oh. I keep forgetting the Knights can jump. Your chess is more confusing than the kind Crimson taught me._

_Chess is good for the mind,_ Coyote informed him. _Game of logic and thinking. Pentecost was good at it. Taught it to Mako, and tried to teach it to the Becketts. Not sure how well he succeeded there._ She gestured in his direction. _Your move._

 _I'm thinking._ He pondered the board, then focused his energy on the synthesizer newly installed in his Conn Pod. _"King to D1!"_

The engineer standing on E1, wearing a paper with a crown symbol on it taped to his shirt, had been thumbing away on his phone, but he jumped with a yelp and scooted sideways to the next square.

" _Sorry for spooking you,"_ Cherno told him. _"I'm not used to this voice yet."_

"It's all right," Hideaki replied, offering a game smile. "I'm not used to you talking just yet."

" _Bishop to G4,"_ Coyote ordered, her new voice a booming but feminine contralto, and beamed smugly as Bailey crossed the board to that position. _"Checkmate."_

Cherno whined softly and waved his hand at the board. _"Surrender."_

The engineers, technicians, and crew members who had volunteered to serve as game pieces stepped away from the makeshift board, conversing softly amongst themselves. Off to the side, Mako and Caitlyn were still taking notes and investigating readouts on scanners, comparing their findings in hushed tones. His parents looked on as well, and Aleksis reached up to pat his leg.

"Good game," he told him. "You will beat her next time."

_I hope so, Papa. But I'm not good at this one. I'm better with the one with the cards._

"Yes, but Tendo has asked that we suspend poker for the time being," Sasha replied, suppressing a smirk. "Perhaps we should find another card game to teach you."

"I think that'll be the last game for now," Caitlyn told them, shutting off the scanner. "At least the last one for research purposes. How's your new voice synthesizer suiting you, Cherno?"

Cherno winced internally. _Do I have to tell her the truth, Mama?_

"Tell her the truth," she urged. "It is the only way she can fix anything wrong."

He gusted out a sigh of vented air. _"I do not like this new voice. It… doesn't fit."_ There was more he could have said, but he deliberately clipped his complaint short. He hated his new voice – it was far too deep and monotone for his tastes, with an exaggerated accent as if whoever had installed it was insistent that a Russian Jaeger sound properly Russian. To his own audial receptors, he sounded threatening, even scary, and he didn't want that.

"I know, big guy," Caitlyn replied, giving him a sympathetic smile. "I don't think it suits you either. But it's only temporary. We'll get it recalibrated so that it sounds closer to how you want it to sound, all right?"

He bobbed slightly in a nod of agreement. It was annoying, but he could learn to live with it. Especially given that the alternatives were either forcing his parents to relay everything he said or giving them headaches by "shouting" constantly.

"Dr. Lightcap, I want a word when you're done!" Marshal Hansen called out.

"Go," Mako told her. "I'll finish up here."

"Thank you." Caitlyn smiled at the younger Ranger, then picked up her tablet and hurried out after Striker's Ranger. Mako continued to pack up, while Coyote gathered the cables that had marked the grid of the game board.

 _I'm going outside,_ she informed Cherno. _I need to stretch my legs. Come with me?_

 _Not right now,_ Cherno told her. _My parents said they had a surprise for me after the game._

 _Another time, then._ To his surprise, she reached out and patted his shoulder before turning and striding for the door. Gipsy and Crimson had been watching the reassembly of Striker's body, but they quickly stepped out of the way to let her pass.

"Now Cherno," Sasha said with a bright smile, "we promised you a surprise. Are you ready?"

Cherno thrummed eagerly and pushed himself to his feet. _What kind of surprise?_

"If we told you, it would no longer be a surprise," laughed Aleksis, and he waved Cherno toward his hangar. With a little sadness he noted that Papa still walked with a limp – not as bad as before, but he would probably never walk normally again. His parents had recovered as much as they ever would from the double event, and while they still possessed the fire of Rangers, they would forever bear scars… and would probably never fight again.

 _Then I must fight extra hard for them to make up for it,_ he vowed as he followed his Rangers. _It is the least I can do…_

"By Svarog! For once the news got it right! He lives!"

Cherno froze in his tracks. That voice… he hadn't heard it in years! But the sound of it brought back memories of hands nudging open his Conn Pod, the tapping of a cane against his consoles, something foreign but not unpleasant laid at the foot of his controls…

There was someone in his hangar, a wizened old man sitting on the cot where his parents normally slept. Upon spotting the Jaeger he pushed himself upright with the aid of a cane and limped closer, his gait reminding Cherno of Dr. Gottlieb's hitching stride. He was frailer than Cherno recalled, his beard gone yellow and tangled with neglect and one eye filmed over, but there was still no mistaking him… and the sight of him sent a thrill of joy through his core.

" _Ilya?"_

The old man cackled as he craned his neck to gaze up at the titan. "He remembers me!"

"Who could forget you, Uncle?" Aleksis said with a resigned chuckle. "Yes, Cherno, this is your Uncle Ilya. He was finally given clearance to visit."

Cherno crouched in order to not tower so much over Ilya, feeling a rush of pleasure at the memories. He knew Papa was close to the old man, even if his superstitions annoyed him at times, and Mama had grown fond of him as well. Given his parents' feelings, how could he not take a liking to him?

" _It is…"_ He scowled inwardly at his voice. _"It is good to see you again, Uncle."_

"Blast it, can they make you sound any more like a robot?" Ilya grouched. "But it's good to see YOU again, Cherno! It seems leaving gifts for the _domovoi_ paid off after all!"

Aleksis groaned. "For the last time, Ilya, it was not the _domovoi._ It was the consequences of frequent drifting over the years."

"Bah," Ilya dismissed, flapping his hand in the air. "Bunk, I say. Science chalks it up to the drift when they really have no idea, right? I say the _domovoi_ in your Jaeger finally manifested itself."

Cherno gave a chirp of confusion. He had vague memories of Ilya talking about the house spirits in the past, but he had no idea what those had to do with him. He was no house spirit… right?

"I've long said it, and I stand by it," Ilya went on, walking fearlessly forward to rest his hand against Cherno's foot. "The Jaegers are vessels. Vessels for the _domovoi_ of their Shatterdomes. Instead of managing the affairs of the home, however, they have taken on the role of protectors, defending their Shatterdomes and the world from the demons of the deep. And just as the _domovoi_ of our homes respond to kind and respectful treatment, so do the _domovoi_ that now wear bodies of metal respond to the kindness and comradeship of their Rangers."

Sasha opened her mouth as if to protest, then slowly shut it. "I have never thought of it that way, Uncle Ilya. That's actually a lovely way to look at it."

Cherno cocked his chassis to one side as he pondered the old man's words. _"If we are_ domovoi, _then how does that explain Mustang Omega?"_

"Mustang what?"

"The newest Jaeger," Sasha explained. "The Mark VI. It has not yet shown signs of sentience."

"Hmm." Ilya folded his hands over the top of his cane. "What are his Rangers like?"

" _Jerks,"_ Cherno provided, just as Aleksis said "Assholes" at the same time. His engines stuttered in a laugh at that, earning a glower from Sasha.

"They are but children," Sasha clarified. "Recent graduates from training. They are talented, but have no respect for their Jaeger. As far as they are concerned, Mustang Omega might as well be a tank they drive into battle… or worse, a toy to play with."

Ilya frowned, his fingers clenching on the pommel of his cane. "The _domovoi_ are spirits, but even they can be neglected. If disrespected by those who live in the home, they will leave… or worse, play tricks on those who occupy their homes. Sometimes dangerous tricks." He shook his head. "Keep a close watch on that one, young Cherno… for there may come a day when the Rossis need the help of the _domovoi_ within their Jaeger, and find themselves without his aid when they need it most."

The tone in Ilya's voice chilled him, and he couldn't suppress a shudder that made his armor clatter. As much as he wanted to believe his Papa's insistence that Ilya's stories were just superstitious tales, he sounded so sure of himself, so matter-of-fact, that he wanted to believe. Especially since his words weren't so far off from what Lightcap had said, that it was the Rossis' neglect that was keeping Mustang's sentience suppressed.

Aleksis just gave a dry chuckle. "You'll find any way to twist the situation to fit your superstitions, won't you, Ilya?"

"Oh hush," he retorted, giving his nephew a playful glower. "You were once a staunch believer too, young one. Don't make me tell your overgrown son all about it."

Cherno "laughed" again. _"I want to hear all the stories! About Papa and about the old tales and the spirits. I only heard a few during your past visits."_

"See?" Ilya crowed. "Someone appreciates the old stories!" He hitched his way back to the cot and sat down. "Come in here where we can talk in peace, then."

Cherno turned to face his parents. _Mama, Papa, can I?_

Sasha laughed. "We invited Ilya here to get better acquainted with you, Cherno. Of course you can talk to him. We'll be in the mess hall while you two get to know one another."

He chirred in delight and stepped fully into the hangar, sitting down with as much care as he could manage. Whether or not Ilya's stories were true, they were certainly going to be fun.

* * *

"Cherno?"

That voice, gentle yet insistent, nudged him back to awareness, and he brought his visual sensors online and focused them down at the younger Rossi curiously.

"Hey big guy," she murmured. "How you doing?"

Cherno almost answered her aloud, then caught himself as his gaze rested on Ilya. The old man had regaled him with colorful tales for most of the evening – stories about Vasilisa the Beautiful, Baba Yaga, the Firebird, the Snow Dragon, the Frog Princess, Katschei the Deathless – but at last exhaustion had caught up with him, and he had slumped over on the cot and begun snoring mid-sentence. He had waited patiently for him to wake up and continue where he left off, but at some point he must have slipped into standby mode.

 _I'm well,_ he answered, focusing his mental voice at her as Coyote had taught him to do. _Where are my parents? They should have been back by now._

"They're at a meeting with Marshal Choi," she replied. "All the Rangers are, actually. It might be awhile before they come back." Her gaze moved to the old man, and she smothered a laugh behind her hand. "Funny old man… is he a relative of your Rangers?"

Cherno bobbed once. _My papa's uncle. I like him. He's kind, and respects us._

Bailey nodded back. "Hey… while you're waiting for him to wake up, maybe I could do something about your voice?"

He chirped inquisitively. _My voice?_

"Dr. Lightcap says you're not happy with how it turned out. I might be able to tweak your synthesizer a bit, modulate the voice until it's closer to what you want. Something that's a little less scary than the Russian Darth Vader you're currently channeling."

Despite himself, Cherno let his engines click in a giggle at her description. _I would like that! What do I have to do?_

"Just lift me up into your cockpit," she replied. "Then just sit back and let me do the work, all right?"

Cherno bobbed again, and he held his hand flat on the floor for her. She stepped into his palm, and he lifted her to the Pod, unlocking the hatch for her.

 _I was thinking something not so deep,_ he told her as she climbed in. _Younger-sounding, too. Not quite like Crimson's, though… and definitely not a girl's voice like Gipsy or Coyote's…_

Bailey didn't respond, simply moved to his computer console and set to work. She was all business, it seemed, wanting to get this done quickly. He hoped she'd at least listened to his requests, and wouldn't just stick him with a voice that sounded silly or inappropriate.

A command prompt he'd never felt before flashed through his computer core, and he pulsed a questioning thought inward, toward the technician.

 _Um… Bailey? That's not my voice synthesizer,_ he told her. _I think you made a mistake._

"Trust me, Cherno," she assured him. "I know what I'm doing." And she touched the CONFIRM prompt.

Something twinged in Cherno's core, a sensation almost but not quite pain. A prickle of heat flooded his chassis, slight at first, but rapidly climbing with every second. The lights of his Conn Pod flared bright red as alarms blared, and a stark, terrifying warning displayed on every internal screen and across his own CPU.

WARNING: REACTOR OVERLOAD IMMINENT. THREE MINUTES TO SELF-DESTRUCT.

A squeal of terror tore from his engines. _Bailey!_

The technician backed away from the console, leaning against the back wall of his Conn Pod. "It's done, Cherno."

 _Turn it off!_ He clawed at his Conn Pod with both hands, as if hoping to rip it open and shut down the self-destruct himself. _Please! Bailey, what did you do?_

"I did what I had to," she replied, sounding far too calm for his liking. "There's no reversing it."

His CPU scrambled for a response, for a solution of some kind. Terror and anger flashed through him in equal measure, pulsing a single word through his mind. Why… why would one of his own technicians do this to him? It was unthinkable… unless… no, it couldn't be…

 _Why?_ he demanded.

"Vengeance," Bailey replied quietly. "For the closing of the Breach, for the deaths of countless Messengers of the Deep Ones, for the destruction of our temple. I would have gone for Gipsy, since she's so obviously the hero of the Kaiju War, but I didn't have an excuse to get into her Conn Pod. But you not only had the perfect excuse, you're the Jaeger that everyone loves and dotes on." Her tone became smug, self-satisfied. "Which will make it all the more agonizing when you die, and take half the Shatterdome with you."

The knowledge that Bailey Rossi was the Kaiju cult's spy might have angered him into doing something terrible under other circumstances. But any response on Cherno's part was cut off by a second warning.

REACTOR OVERLOAD IMMINENT. TWO MINUTES AND THIRTY SECONDS TO SELF-DESTRUCT.

Cherno squealed again and shot to his feet, bolting out of the hangar. Gipsy reached out to him as if to block his path, but he batted her arm away and charged for the doors, scattering work crews and crushing a stack of crates underfoot in his haste. He had to get out of the Shatterdome _now,_ get as far away as he could… before the unthinkable happened…

"I'm sorry, Cherno… I really did grow to like you. But we all have to make sacrifices in times of war."

Cherno wanted to tear his Conn Pod open and crush her with his own hands, and the intensity of his own hatred toward a human briefly terrified him. But he couldn't waste time on his own anger. The surf of Victoria Harbor surged around his ankles as he struggled to put as much distance between himself and the Shatterdome as he could, trying to ignore the building heat in his core…

_Mama! Papa! Help me!_


	27. Betrayals and Bonds

Sasha had been studying the crude map lying in the center of the conference room, trying to commit the details to memory, when cold dread erupted in her chest. She gasped aloud, staggering, struggling to draw breath through a throat suddenly drawn tight. Her ears roared, almost entirely drowning out the startled shouts from the other Rangers and Tendo, and the room spun crazily around her.

 _Cherno!_ She couldn't explain how she knew, but something awful had just happened to Cherno. He was scared – no, scared was too mild a word. Something had the Jaeger flat-out terrified.

 _Mama!_ His voice echoed through the drift, wild with fear. _Papa! Help!_

"Cherno!" She gripped the edge of the table to steady herself. "What-"

A blast of sheer emotion struck her, terror and disbelief and white-hot anger, accompanied by a jumble of images – Bailey Rossi, the Kaiju cultists' temple, a REACTOR OVERLOAD IMMINENT warning, a countdown ticking steadily down to zero…

"Damn her!" Aleksis bellowed, and he grabbed Sasha's arm and propelled her toward the door of the conference room.

"What's going on?" demanded Tendo, rising to his feet. "Kaidonovskys, get back here!"

Aleksis snarled in reply and bolted out the door, anger and adrenaline momentarily overcoming his usual painful limp. Sasha's first instinct was to charge after him – every second she wasted having to explain herself was one less second they had available to save Cherno. But she forced herself to stay put and talk. If there was even a slim chance that Tendo could help them, she had to take it.

"Bailey Rossi activated Cherno Alpha's self-destruct," she spat. "She is the cultist's spy."

Tendo's jaw dropped, the skin of his face bleaching to near-white at that news. But he snapped his mouth shut and ran out of the conference room, Sasha close at his heels. The conference room erupted into frenzied chatter behind them, but she ignored the others for now. Explanations would have to wait until her son was safe!

"Where is he now?" Tendo demanded, his words taut with anxiety… and barely suppressed anger.

"In the harbor," Sasha replied, voice equally tight. "He… he wanted to be far away… just in case…" She couldn't bring herself to go on. It wouldn't happen. He _would_ be all right! He had to be! If she and Aleksis lost him now, after everything they had done to keep him… it would shatter them.

"The Jaeger's self-destruct can only be activated from inside!" Tendo told her, and made a sharp turn toward the lift that serviced the LOCCENT. "But I should be able to shut it down remotely. If Bailey's inside him, though, she could set it off again!"

"Then we stop her!" Sasha retorted. "You shut it down! Aleksis and I will handle the girl!"

Tendo looked ready to protest, but held his tongue. Whether he simply didn't want to waste precious seconds arguing or thought Bailey Rossi deserved whatever punishment Cherno's Rangers chose to dish out, he didn't say. He simply stepped into the lift, doors hissing shut behind him.

Aleksis must have picked up on her own thoughts, for when she burst into the hangar he was already bellowing for a Jaeger, any Jaeger, to help him. That set off a cacophony of wailing and roaring from all four of them, but it was Crimson Typhoon who responded the fastest, stooping down and offering a hand for the Kaidonovskys.

"Get us to Cherno!" Sasha shouted, scrambling up into the massive palm. "Hurry!"

" _As fast as I can manage,"_ Crimson promised, his pleasant tenor voice sounding artificially calm but his mental tone radiating anger and horror. As soon as the two humans were safely in his hand, he rose and hurried for the doors.

 _Hold on, Cherno,_ she pleaded. _We're coming!_

* * *

REACTOR OVERLOAD IMMINENT. NINETY SECONDS TO SELF-DESTRUCT.

Cherno was still slogging his way through the harbor, trying to put as much space between himself and the Shatterdome as he could. Even in his state of terror, he knew the danger he now posed. And he refused to give Bailey the satisfaction of seeing the Jaeger program's last operable base destroyed. Not when it was still in his power to do something about it.

He might die today… and the thought of simply ceasing to exist still terrified him. But knowing that at least he would take no one else with him but the traitor was some comfort.

_Hold on, Cherno! We're coming!_

_Mama!_ He stumbled, falling to his hands and knees. _It's Bailey, she's the spy, she was trying to blow up the Shatterdome…_

_We know, Cherno! We're on our way! Just hold on!_

He pushed himself upright and twisted around… and felt his core freeze in horror. Crimson ran toward him, spray kicking up in white sheets all around him, cupping a hand to his chest… a hand carrying two tiny figures…

REACTOR OVERLOAD IMMINENT. SIXTY SECONDS TO SELF-DESTRUCT.

 _Get back!_ Cherno shoved himself to his feet, ready to back away. _Get back! Don't come any closer!_

 _We're here to help, Cherno!_ Crimson insisted, lengthening his stride. _Don't run, please!_

_Get back! If you're too close when my reactor blows up, you'll die! My parents will die! Please!_

_No one's going to die today!_ Crimson reached out and grabbed Cherno's arm with his free hand. _Tendo's doing all he can in the LOCCENT. Please, trust him… trust US._

Cherno whined and tried to pull away. No… no, he was dangerous now, a menace to all the other Jaegers and humans… he had to get as far away as possible…

REACTOR OVERLOAD IMMINENT. THIRTY SECONDS TO SELF-DESTRUCT – 29 – 28 – 27…

"Cherno Alpha!" Tendo's voice over the radio briefly smothered the countdown. "This is Marshal Choi, requesting remote access to your controls! Please respond!"

As if he would turn that down now! PERMISSION GRANTED. PLEASE HURRY!

22 – 21 – 20…

"It won't work, Tendo!" Bailey shouted. "I have the system locked down! Only a technician can get in! Even admin privileges won't-"

" _SHUT UP!"_ Cherno let his new voice fill the interior of the Conn Pod, the volume pitched up as high as he could manage. Bailey collapsed, hands over her ears, and belatedly he wondered if he'd just damaged her hearing beyond repair. At the moment, he didn't especially are.

15 – 14 – 13 – SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE TERMINATED. REACTOR COOLDOWN IN PROGRESS.

A wavering whine escaped his engines, and he would have collapsed had Crimson not wrapped an arm around his shoulders to keep him upright. His relief was cut short, however, by an irate scream from within his Conn Pod.

"What did you DO?!" Bailey shrieked. "That should have been impossible! There's no way… you couldn't…"

Tendo's voice managed to sound immensely relieved and smug at the same time. "Did you forget already, Miss Rossi, that I started out as a LOCCENT tech monkey before becoming Marshal?"

Bailey couldn't hear Tendo's words – even Cherno knew her eardrums were probably shot by this point – but she seemed to understand what had happened well enough. She screamed again and lunged for the controls… but Cherno's roar had wrecked her inner ear, leaving her badly off-balance. She staggered across the Conn Pod, flailing wildly for something to grab onto.

Crimson thrummed softly and lifted his other hand to Cherno's cockpit. _Let your Rangers in,_ he urged. _They'll handle the girl._

Cherno obeyed, letting the hatch to his Conn Pod pop open. Sasha slipped inside first, and within moments he heard the satisfying THUDs of a fist striking flesh.

"That is for Cherno, bitch!" Sasha snarled.

Bailey collapsed against the back wall of the Conn Pod, and Cherno caught a quick glimpse of the girl through his mother's eyes – cradling her jaw, blood painting scarlet lines down from her ears, nose, and the corner of her jaw, a look of absolute hatred burning in her eyes as first Sasha, then Aleksis, bent down to regard her as if she were an insect.

"We are family," Aleksis growled. "But above all, we are Rangers, charged to protect this world. You are Kaiju to us now – a monster, a threat to all we hold dear. You threaten our child ever again… and we will kill you. No questions asked."

Bailey just glared, not speaking even as the Rangers hauled her roughly to her feet.

"Back to the Shatterdome, Cherno," Sasha ordered. "Everything is under control."

Cherno just sent a shaky pulse of relief back as he slowly made his way back to shore, Crimson keeping pace alongside him. That had been far too close… and somehow the thought of being destroyed from within had been far worse than the threat of destruction by Kaiju. He'd never known that a single human could be such a threat to a Jaeger, and the thought left him with a gnawing sense of dread in his core. Even with Bailey's attempt thwarted… would he ever feel truly safe again?

* * *

An angry crowd awaited Cherno and Crimson's return to the Jaeger bay, Rangers and mechanics and techs rumbling with barely suppressed hatred as Crimson extracted Aleksis, Sasha, and Bailey from the Mark I's Conn Pod and lowered them to the floor. Gipsy, Coyote, and Striker hung back, radiating sheer hatred toward the traitorous technician even without proper faces to express the emotion. Coyote even raised her hands and made a show of cracking her knuckles, causing Bailey to blanch and look away.

The muttering of the crowd escalated to a furious roar as the Kaidonovskys escorted Bailey through the bay and toward the lift, her wrists bound with a length of electric cord. Foul names in a variety of languages filled the air, and a few people even lunged forward to attack her and were barely held back by their just-as-angry fellows. The technician just stared straight ahead, jaw set, not even flinching when garbage flew at her and bounced off her shoulders and chest. Nor did she do more than wrinkle her nose in disgust when a handful of foul-smelling blue-green sludge splattered her lab coat.

"That's a present from Spike, bitch!" Newt howled. "Yeah, you like Kaiju so much? Enjoy that, why don't you!"

"Enough of that, Newt!" Hermann bellowed, yanking him back. "You're disgracing yourself and the entire Shatterdome!"

"What, I'm bad for sticking up for Mikhail but you can defend this bitch?" demanded Newt.

"I despise what she has done," Hermann retorted, and his eyes flashed with pure hatred. "More so because she was a protégé of mine. But we will not stoop to her level."

Two more figures pushed their way through the crowd, each still wearing drive suits from a training run. Lance and Lexie shouldered their way past Marshal Hansen, who was struggling to keep the irate crowd back, and moved to block the Kaidonovskys' path.

Bailey held the twins' gaze for a moment, then lowered it to the floor. For the first time since her identity as the cultists' mole had been uncovered, she looked shamed, if not exactly regretful.

"Stand aside," Aleksis ordered. "She's not worth your mercy."

"We just want to ask her something," Lexie replied.

"Cherno burst her eardrums," Sasha countered. "She can't hear you."

"Easy to get around," Lance shot back, and he reached out and grabbed the technician's chin. She winced as his hand closed around her bruised jaw, and didn't resist as he lifted her face to look her in the eye.

"Why?" he demanded, mouthing the word with deliberate care. "You were our sister. We trusted you. Why would you do this? Why would you betray the Jaeger program like this?"

Bailey wrenched herself free from her brother's grip. "What do you care, Lance? You two hate the living Jaegers. Why should you care if one of them blows up?"

"Maybe we don't like them," Lexie retorted, "but you could have killed us all! You could have leveled this entire place, and Mustang with it! You could have killed your own brother and sister! Is your precious Kaiju cult worth having our blood on your hands, Bailey?!"

Aleksis scowled. Even when siding with the other Rangers on this issue, Lexie managed to make it all about herself.

"This place and its Jaegers are a scourge upon the world," Bailey retorted. "The Deep Ones sent the Messengers to chastise the world. And we're nothing but children, choosing to throw a tantrum instead of accepting our righteous punishment. You're my brother and sister… but you've chosen which side you're on. And I've chosen mine."

Lance blinked, and Aleksis was shocked to see tears shining in the young Ranger's eyes. "You disgust me, Bailey. You're no sister to us anymore." He looked to Aleksis now. "Is Cherno okay?"

Another shock from the young man… actual concern for one of the sentient Jaegers. But Aleksis kept his expression steady. "He is shaken… but unhurt. He will recover."

Lance nodded, then turned and strode back into the crowd. Lexie spared her sister one last look of contempt before hurrying after him.

"I've called the police," Tendo told the Kaidonovskys as two burly Shatterdome workers stepped forward to relieve them of their captive. "They'll handle things from here. I don't know if we can get an attempted murder charge to stick until we get Cherno's legal status ironed out, but at the very least we can nail her for terrorism."

The implication that the courts would consider Cherno less than human rankled, but Aleksis held his tongue. Bailey would face justice, and his son was safe. For now, nothing else mattered.

"Sasha, Aleksis… you two are excused from the rest of the meeting," Tendo went on. "We'll brief you on the details later."

"Marshal…" began Sasha.

"You're not in trouble," Tendo assured them. "But right now, I'd say your Jaeger needs you more than we do."

It was Aleksis' turn to blink back tears, and it took all his strength to maintain his stoic expression. "Thank you, Marshal," he said softly.

Tendo just smiled, then made a shooing motion with his hands before turning to leave. The crowd slowly filtered out, some still muttering angrily and others craning their necks to get one last glimpse of Bailey as she was hauled off. Newt and Hermann bickered on their way out, Newt looking proud of himself and Hermann disgusted.

Aleksis and Sasha, meanwhile, turned back to Cherno. He had made his way to his hangar by now, though Crimson still hadn't left his side. The scarlet Jaeger hugged him close, rocking the Mark I and crooning softly in an effort to soothe him. The other three hung back a respectful distance, but they, too, added their own soft humming to Crimson's, finding an eerie harmony that made the hair on the back of Aleksis' neck stand on end.

"Cherno?"

At the sound of his father's voice, Cherno shuddered and turned slightly to face him. _Papa?_

"Oh Cherno…" He stepped forward and leaned against the Jaeger's leg, wishing for the hundredth time that he were big enough – or Cherno small enough – that he could hug him and comfort him.

_Papa… Mama… don't leave me. I… I don't want to be alone right now. Not after… that._

"We won't." Sasha pressed herself against his armored leg as well. "We promise. We're here as long as you need us."

Cherno crooned softly and leaned against Crimson. Slowly, with the contact of his Rangers and the soft thrumming of his fellow Jaegers, he began to relax, the fear slowly ebbing from his core.

* * *

 _If this incident proves anything, it's that the Jaegers are still vulnerable,_ Tendo thought darkly, righting a chair that had toppled over in everyone's haste to flee the conference room. _Now that they're sentient beings, we need to either lock the controls in their Conn Pods or simply seal the pods entirely. Dr. Gottlieb insisted before that we needed the safeguards those controls provided, but… no. Not when they can be this easily abused._

Chuck was the first to speak as the Rangers invited to the meeting got settled in. "So what's gonna be done about that bitch anyhow?"

"She's in the law's hands now," Tendo replied. "She'll face justice."

"We don't want justice!" Chuck spat. "She nearly killed a Jaeger! We shoulda let Cherno stomp her flat! Or Striker! He was flat-out rarin' to do it, too!"

"Shut it, pup!" Herc snarled. "You idiot, you WANT people to start bein' scared of the Jaegers?"

"They deserve a little payback!"

"I said SHUT IT!" Herc roared. "At this point the PPDC's lookin' for any excuse to shut the Jaegers down! Killin' a human would be a death sentence for them all!"

Chuck snapped his mouth shut, his anger slightly cooled but still simmering.

"What about the other Jaegers?" asked Raleigh. "Are they safe? What if someone tries to hijack and destroy them too?"

"Self-destruct mechanisms can only be activated from inside the Conn Pod," Hermann replied. "The easiest way to avoid situations like this would be for the Jaegers to simply not let anyone inside. Not unless they're trusted personnel."

"Bailey was trusted personnel," Jin pointed out sourly. "And what if there are others? We don't know how many cultists got away."

"For now… for now, the best we can do is tell the Jaegers not to allow anyone in their Conn Pods except their Rangers," Tendo replied. "We'll see about disabling their internal controls later."

Hermann sputtered. "But the safeguards!"

"The Jaegers are sentient beings," Tendo reminded him. "It's time we started treating them like such. And that means allowing them full autonomy over their own bodies. I see no logic behind telling them they're their own free creatures, only to hold on to the ability to control them or shut them down remotely. It's a risk… but one we have to take."

Hermann scowled but nodded. Mako smiled in triumph.

"With that settled, let's get back to what we were discussing before the interruption." Tendo waved at Hermann. "Dr. Gottlieb, Dr. Geizler, continue."

Hermann huffed but returned his attention to the map – a map hastily scrawled in marker on a section of wall paneling from the Kaiju temple. At his request, Gipsy Danger had gone back to the scene of his and Newt's rescue, further dismantling that unholy house of worship and retrieving the map. Newt had countered that they could just take a picture of it rather than hauling it back, but somehow Gipsy had been highly amused by the request.

"One would think we'd have charted out our own ocean floors better by now," Hermann grumbled. "I couldn't see any recognizable landmarks, so the exact location of this base is unknown. But thanks to the drifts, both accidental during dreams and forced at Mikhail's hand, Dr. Geizler and I believe we know the general layout of the Precursor base on the Pacific floor."

"Are we sure it's on the Pacific floor?" asked Caitlyn. "For all we know, they could have picked a different ocean to strike from. The Atlantic, or the Indian, or even the Arctic."

Hermann shook his head. "The last two Kaiju attacks were still on Pacific shores. I highly doubt the Precursors would create Kaiju only to sic them on another ocean entirely."

"What are these twisted-looking things?" asked Hu, reaching out to tap a gnarled scribble.

"That was meant to be coral," Hermann replied. "I'm a scientist, not an artist. There seem to be at least a dozen, if not more, coral frameworks for the construction and restraining of Kaiju. The creatures are built, then held there until the time comes to release them onto our shores."

"How many looked to be near completion?" asked Tendo.

"At least three," Newt said with a quaver in his voice. "M-maybe more."

"Gods," Raleigh breathed.

"These domes," Hermann went on, tapping a cluster of what looked like turtle shells, "seem to be some sort of mobile facility – a submersible vehicle that can be grounded to create a semi-permanent building. What goes on in there, we can only speculate. It could house raw materials, troops, weapons the likes of which we haven't seen yet… who knows?"

"Raw materials would make the most sense," Tendo noted. "As advanced as the Precursors are, I doubt they can just spin a Kaiju out of thin air. All the same… if we plan some sort of strike on this base, we should use caution around those buildings."

"Are we really doing this?" asked Raleigh. "Going all-out against the underwater base? When we don't even know for sure where it is?"

"We have to be prepared, Beckett," Herc replied. "This war can't go on forever. The world can't take much more of this. We'll find where those buggers're hidin'… an' when we do, we wanna be ready."

"What about this?" Mako touched a vaguely humanoid shape in the center of the map, one framed and crosshatched as if trapped in a cage.

"That…" Hermann shuddered. "I can scarcely believe it myself."

"Don't leave us in suspense," Lexie grumbled. "Spit it out."

"Near as we can figure," Newt cut in, eyes gleaming with a manic mix of excitement and terror, "when the Precursors had Gipsy and were doing their thing to her, they weren't just trying to put her together and hold her prisoner. They were studying her – getting her schematics down, figuring out what makes her tick. And that gooey stuff they put her back together with… it's similar to what the Kaiju are built from, some of the same molecular structure, even the same DNA, but it looks like they've tweaked it! Modified it for a whole new project!"

"Get to the point," Hermann ordered.

"I'm gettin' there!" Newt insisted. "But this is fascinating stuff! Or it'd be fascinating if it wasn't so terrifying…"

"Dr. Geizler," Tendo ordered, "please get to the point. What are the Precursors building, and what does Gipsy have to do with it?" He had a sinking feeling he knew already, but he wanted to hear Newt confirm it.

The xenobiologist pulled off his glasses as if for dramatic effect. "The Precursors know their Kaiju can't stand up to the Jaegers forever. So they've decided 'if you can't beat 'em, copy 'em.' They took Gipsy and they made a bio-tech copy of her! A machine made of flesh and shell and bone, but that still operates like Gipsy! A whole new kind of monster!"

Mako paled. "The Precursors have built a Jaeger."

Newt nodded. "I wanna say this is freaking awesome… but to be honest, the thought of that thing scares the shit out of me."

"After what you did to Ms. Rossi today, I'd think you had quite enough of shit today," Hermann muttered.

"Hey!"

"So it's gonna be Jaeger-on-Jaeger soon," Lance noted. "Awesome!"

"'Course you'd think it's awesome," Chuck grumbled. "I hear you two are experts at Jaeger-on-Jaeger fighting."

"Chuck!" Herc snapped.

"That wasn't our fault!" Lexie retorted. "If Crimson had just minded his own goddamn business-"

"You shut it, missie!" Herc ordered. "Everyone just shut your holes!"

Chuck and Lexie subsided, though they continued to exchange venomous glowers as Tendo continued talking.

"For now, news about the organic Jaeger doesn't leave the base," Tendo informed the gathered Rangers. "For now we simply use the information Dr. Gottlieb and Dr. Geizler have provided to prepare ourselves. We'll find the Precursor base… and I would say that a pre-emptive strike is entirely called for. If we can't destroy them, let's at least send them back to their own universe with their tails smoking.

"In the meantime, the mission to rescue Brawler Yukon is still a go. In the morning, Dr. Lightcap, Dr. Geizler, Dr. Gottlieb, and I will depart for Canada, for the museum where Brawler is being held. With any luck, we can replicate the circumstances that pushed the other Jaegers to full sentience, and allow Brawler to escape on his own."

"Is this really a good use of our resources at this time?" demanded Hermann.

"We made a promise to Dr. Lightcap," Tendo told the scientist. "It's high time we kept it. And with an assault on the Precursor base in the making… I'd say we could use all the mech-power we can get."

* * *

_This seat taken?_

Gipsy squeaked and scooted over on the rocky beach, letting Striker settle down beside her. The Mark V moved stiffly, the joints of his brand-new chassis creaking with every bend and twist, and she had to stifle a laugh as his back struts made a staccato popping sound when he sat down.

_What's so funny?_

_Nothing._ She turned her attention back to the horizon, where a brilliant orange sun appeared to be sinking into the ocean.

 _Yeah, I know, I'm movin' slow,_ he huffed, drawing his knees up to his chest. _This new body's gonna take some limberin' up. But it sure beats bein' just a head._

_I'm sure it does._

The two Jaegers were silent a moment, watching the sun set and cast light like molten gold over the ocean. Funny, Gipsy thought… the ocean was the source of so much terror for their world, a gateway for Kaiju to emerge and wreak their havoc on land. It startled her sometimes how something so deadly could still be so beautiful.

 _Father always said that Aussies were used to havin' a love-hate relationship with the ocean,_ Striker noted, picking up on her thoughts. _So many things in there that can kill a human – sharks, jellyfish, saltwater crocs, poisonous fish an' octopi… But for all that, humans kept goin' back in. The draw of the ocean was too strong._

 _Maybe that's why so many countries hated the Wall,_ Gipsy added. _Not just because it turned out to be useless and a waste of money… but because it cut them off from the ocean. And despite the dangers, humankind didn't want to give that up._

Striker shrugged. _Could be._

Silence again… but it was a friendly, companionable silence, not awkward or tense. Gipsy let her gaze wander as they sat, from the blazing sunset to the amber light that gilded Striker's armor, to the hunched form of Ilya as he sat on a nearby dock feeding hunks of bread to the seagulls, to a salvage boat with the words _Weak Anthropic Principle_ painted on the side pulling in to unload a haul of scrap. It was a rare peaceful evening, and for the moment she simply relished it, taking in the sights and sounds and committing them to her memory banks.

 _Cherno gonna be okay?_ Striker asked.

Gipsy nodded. _He's pretty shaken. Humans might have destroyed Jaegers without thinking earlier, but this is the first time someone's tried to kill a Jaeger they knew was sentient. And Bailey was always kind to us before. It… it's shaken everyone's trust, I guess. I think it'll be awhile before many of us trust another human outside our Rangers and the Marshals again._

_Eh… Bailey was an exception to the rule, I think. Not that I'm gonna let complete strangers poke around in my Conn Pod after this… but still, don't go thinkin' every human out there is out to get us. That way of thinkin'll just turn 'em all against us._

She poked at his shoulder. _When did you get to be all wise all of a sudden?_

_Hey, just 'cause I ain't an old-timer like some don't mean I ain't learned a few things._

Another moment of silence. When Striker spoke again, his voice was hesitant, almost shy, and sounded so unlike him that Gipsy did a double-take at it.

_Gipsy… you did good, ya know._

_Huh?_ She turned to face him. That was sudden…

 _You did good,_ Striker went on, looking away and his tone colored with uncharacteristic embarrassment. _Out there at the Breach. You kept goin' when others, human or Jaeger, woulda given up. They call you the hero of the war… an' at first I was a tad jealous, y'know? But you deserve it. You did real good out there._

She cocked her Conn Pod to one side. _Is that a compliment? From you?_

 _Don't get snarky with me, little sheila,_ he retorted. _I can always take it back._

 _Can… but will you?_ She let her gaze return to the sunset. _I never thanked you for your help… for stopping Scunner and Raiju, even though it meant sacrificing yourself. I… I thought I'd never get the chance to before. But now… thank you._

_You're welcome. Least I could do. Owed you for savin' me from Otachi an' Leatherback._

She hesitated, then reached out to rest her hand on his. _I missed you._

Striker turned to regard her, his engines rumbling softly. Then he slid his hand out from under her hand and placed it atop hers. _Missed you too, Gip. You ain't half-bad for a Mark III._

_And you're not so bad for a Mark V._

_Hey…_ His scolding tone faded into a chuckle, and he squeezed her hand. _Now comes the hard part._

_Hard part?_

_Explainin' to our Rangers that we like each other._

She shrugged. _Mako will be okay with it. Hercules too, I think. Chuck and Raleigh… I'll try to keep Raleigh from beating on your brother TOO much._

_Same here. I got a feelin' this is gonna make things REAL interestin' in the Shatterdome…_


	28. Lovers and Foes

"Quit it, Rawley."

Raleigh shook his head, snapping himself out of an admittedly-hazy train of thought. "Quit what?"

"Quit starin' at me like that. Seriously, it's creepin' me out."

"I wasn't staring at you."

"Whatever, Rawley."

He sighed. "After all the two of us have been through, you're still going to insist on mispronouncing my name?"

Chuck smirked. "Well, yeah, 'cause I know it bugs you. Why else would I do it?"

Mako snorted. "You two behave. You're mature Rangers, not children."

The Rangers had all taken to sharing a table in the mess hall at mealtimes – well, all save the Rossis, who preferred to eat by themselves. This usually amounted to little more than friendly chatter, but ever since Chuck had returned from his supposed death meals had become a little livelier. Surviving a nuclear explosion and being stranded on an island for several months had tempered his ego a little, but the younger Ranger still seemed to take too much pleasure in needling Raleigh.

Raleigh, for his part, just did his best to let it slide. There were some things about Chuck that would never change, and fighting back wouldn't accomplish anything. Besides, upsetting the younger Hansen would just get Striker mad.

He twirled his fork in a pile of noodles, whistling absent-mindedly, letting his mind wander. Lately he just hadn't been able to find it in him to get mad at Chuck. It wasn't that he liked the younger Hansen any better than before – sure, they respected one another's accomplishments, whether it was Raleigh's closing of the Breach or Chuck's return from supposed death, but their personalities still grated against each other. But somehow he couldn't stay angry with him – any irritation he felt toward the younger Ranger just seemed to slide off like water from an oiled surface.

And though he'd never admit it to anyone, there had been a time or two over the past week when he'd looked at Chuck and felt himself blush uncontrollably. He had NO idea where that had come from, as he'd never felt attracted to guys before and had always assumed he was firmly and comfortably heterosexual. He thought he'd done a remarkable job of covering it up, at least, but it was still embarrassing to admit you were suddenly and inexplicably crushing on your worst rival…

A stale roll bounced off his head.

"Hey!" He jolted out of his reverie and leveled a glare at Chuck.

"You're doin' it again!" he snapped. "Quit it!"

"It's not like I'm trying to do it," Raleigh protested. "Just spacing out, I guess. Is it my fault you're in the way when I'm staring off into space?"

"Space out in THAT direction, then!" Chuck ordered, jabbing to one side with his fork. "Seriously, you're creepin' me out. You look like you're gonna corner me an' try to kiss me or somethin'."

Mako had been in the middle of drinking at that moment, and she hurriedly clapped a napkin to her mouth to keep from spitting a mouthful of juice across the table.

"What's so funny?" Raleigh demanded, more sharply than he'd intended.

"Oh my god," she giggled, doing her best to muffle her laughter with the sodden napkin. "This is adorable! It's like something out of a fan fiction!"

"What is, the fact that Rawley's actin' like a schoolgirl?" Chuck demanded.

Raleigh, however, had spent enough time on the Internet to know what Mako was talking about, and felt the blood rushing to his face. "Mako, it's not like that! This isn't a yaoi!"

"A what?" demanded Chuck. "What's a stupid Bigfoot myth got to do with all this?"

"Not Yowie, yaoi," Raleigh replied. "It's… never mind. And Mako, I am NOT crushing on him. I don't swing that way."

Chuck's eyes almost bulged out of his head at that. "Oh hell no! You stay away from me, Rawley!"

"What the devil's goin' on here?" demanded Herc, storming up at that moment. "What's all the hollerin' about?"

"Those two say Rawley's got a crush on me," Chuck grumbled. "Tell 'em to back the hell off!"

"I never said that!" Raleigh retorted. "Why's everyone assuming that?"

"Well, if you must be attracted to another man, you could do a lot worse than Chuck," Mako pointed out, still giggling. "He IS pretty handsome, and even if he is full of himself he can be very sweet…" She blushed and turned away, as if realizing she'd said too much.

Chuck threw up his hands. "Un-freakin'-believable. Team Gipsy's got the hots for me, both of 'em!"

Herc barked in laughter. "Could be a lot worse, Chuck. Least it's an attractive young lady that's got her eye on ya. Hell, if I were a young man…" He coughed and turned away. "That's b'side the point. I don't care who's crushin' on who, just keep your lovers' spats private."

"It's not a… never mind." Raleigh picked up his tray. "I'm getting out of here before I embarrass myself any further."

"Me too," Mako replied, still pink in the face as she scooped up her cup and music player.

Chuck just growled and stalked out, making a beeline for the Jaeger bay… the same direction Raleigh was heading. He grimaced and tried to let Chuck go on ahead a few paces, not wanting the other Ranger to think he was following him.

"Bloody ridiculous, all of this," Chuck grumbled. "Mako fallin' for me I'd be fine with, but Rawley…"

"Stuff it, pup," Herc retorted. "So long as he ain't harassin' you, stop worryin' 'bout it. B'sides, he's more embarrassed 'bout it than you."

"It's stupid is what it is!" Chuck huffed. "I come back from the ass-end of nowhere to have Team Gipsy makin' goo-goo eyes at me! Almost makes me wish I'd stayed on the island."

"Stop your whinin' already! God, from the way you carry on I'd think you crushed back on 'em an' didn't want to admit it!"

Chuck clamped his mouth shut, but his ears flamed a bright red that gave him away.

"God almighty!" Herc crowed, slapping his back. "I thought it was like that!"

"Oh shut up!" Chuck protested. "Not like YOU weren't turning into a schoolgirl around Mako just now…"

Raleigh was pondering whether it would be worth it to dump the rest of his juice over Chuck's head to shut him up when the four of them entered the bay… and stopped short, gawking over what they saw.

The scene wouldn't have looked out of place in a romantic chick-flick had it been acted out by humans… but the fact that the participants were enormous mecha made it mind-breakingly bizarre. Gipsy Danger lay sprawled out on the floor in front of projection screen, her attention fixed on one of her favorite anime shows, her Conn Pod nestled in Striker Eureka's lap. Striker held her hand in his as they watched the screen, thumb running gently over the gray-blue digits, occasionally looking down at her and giving her a fond pat on the shoulder or Conn Pod with his free hand. She squeezed his hand in return, crooning softly before turning her attention back to the show.

Raleigh heard a faint splat, and belatedly realized that he'd let his breakfast slide off the tray and onto the floor. At the moment that didn't seem terribly important – not when he was faced with the fact that his Jaeger was in love.

A Jaeger… in love… somehow, despite everything that had happened over the past several months, that seemed the most difficult thing to process.

Chuck exploded on the spot. "You've got to be bloody KIDDING me!"

Striker spared his Ranger a glance, and though Raleigh couldn't hear his retort, the annoyed rumble spoke volumes.

"Goddammit, Striker, you're a two-thousand-ton monster-killin' machine! Why'd you have to go and get romantic all of a sudden?!"

Another rumble.

"Oh, shut up about that! That was one night, an' I was drunk!"

Raleigh spared a glance at Mako. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised to see she was grinning like a fool at this.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she replied, still grinning. "I'm happy for Gipsy is all… and happy for all the Jaegers' sakes. This is more proof that they're not just machines, but emotional creatures. If only the PPDC could see this."

Despite himself, Raleigh couldn't help but smile in return. "That's true, isn't it? Though… Gipsy, you think you could at least try to not have your crush on Striker leak over into our minds? It's kind of causing issues with Chuck."

Gipsy pulsed back her confusion, coupled with amusement. _I don't think I can turn it off. It just kinda happens… but it's not bad, is it? I don't have to stop liking Striker, do I?_

Raleigh sighed. As weird as this entire situation was turning out to be, he didn't have the heart to break Gipsy's core, not when she was happier than he'd seen her in a long time. "No, you don't. Mako and I'll find a way to deal with this. You do what makes you happy, all right, girl?"

She purred in content and raised her Conn Pod, bumping it lightly against Striker's in an almost-kiss. Raleigh couldn't stop smiling even if he wanted to. That sight almost made this whole debacle with Chuck and Herc worth it.

Speaking of the Marshal, he had gone remarkably quiet at the sight. Raleigh spared him a glance… and had to fight down a chuckle. He was shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose, as if he felt a headache coming along.

"Every time I think things can't get weirder here, someone raises the bar," he grumbled. "What's next anyhow?"

A high-pitched yowl was his answer, and one of the Shatterdome cats, a large orange tabby, bolted in front of the Rangers. Hot on its heels came Max, barking and flinging flecks of drool in every direction as he pumped his short legs as fast as they would go. Bruno scurried alongside the larger bulldog, mouth open in a wide grin of excitement, and bringing up the rear was Spike, legs clattering like shells on the concrete floor, uttering a sharp, gurgling screech that was as close as the louse could get to an actual bark of his own.

The four of them watched the unlikely pursuit as it carried all the way to Coyote's hangar, making the gray Jaeger jerk and whine in surprise. The cat finally found refuge by scrambling up the Mark I's leg and – much to her consternation – lodging itself firmly in her ankle joint. Max, Bruno, and Spike stationed themselves at the Jaeger's heel, barking and screeching up a storm, while Coyote growled her disapproval of the whole situation and made shooing motions with her hands, motions that all four animals studiously ignored.

Herc gave the entire tableau one last look before turning on his heel and walking off. "I'll be in my office. Don't let her squish my dogs."

"Yes, sir," Raleigh replied. Somehow he and Mako managed to keep their amusement under control until Herc was out of earshot, though their subsequent fit of laughter them venomous glowers from both Chuck and Coyote.

* * *

"… _taking you to our breaking news story in Vancouver, British Columbia, as one of the most bizarre escapes in history takes place! Our correspondent, Levi Strauss, is on the scene. Levi?"_

" _Thanks, Kathleen. As you can see behind me, the Canadian Pan-Pacific Defense Corps Museum was established in 2019 in a refitted grain silo. For years its prize exhibit was Brawler Yukon, a prototype Jaeger commonly called 'the grandfather of all Jaegers,' retired from service in late 2018 due to excessive damages. But if this morning's events are any indication, Brawler's calling Vancouver his home no longer!"_

Ilya snorted. "They sure know how to draw out suspense, don't they? Get to the good stuff already."

Aleksis nodded and motioned for his uncle to quiet down. Team Cherno and their visitor were crowded around a portable television, watching the news for any report on Dr. Lightcap's mission… for whether it ended in a successful rescue or the arrest of a prominent scientist, it was sure to make the news. From the sound of the report so far, it was good news for the Jaeger program, but they wanted to be sure.

The image onscreen switched from the breathless news correspondent to footage of the silo that had been Brawler's home… now with a gaping hole in one side. A thin strip of police tape cordoned the wrecked area off, and a swarm of police and military vehicles crowded around the museum, lights flashing, uniformed officials scurrying about in a frenzy, unsure of what to do next but knowing something needed to be done right now. Shots of the museum and its damage, shown from various angles, continued to show onscreen as the reporter went on.

" _According to museum officials, the escape happened early this morning, when Dr. Caitlyn Lightcap, the scientist renowned for her work on the first Jaegers, arrived at the museum to conduct basic maintenance and inspection on Brawler Yukon. According to eyewitnesses, she proceeded to enter Brawler's Conn Pod – the cockpit where Rangers pilot the Jaeger – and called for tests to be run. Sometime during said tests, the unthinkable happened."_

Now the screen displayed what appeared to be footage from a security camera, showing the squat, hulking, gunmetal-gray form of Brawler Yukon. A rope of red velvet formed a flimsy barrier about his feet, and if one looked closely they could just make out the forms of two men – one in a worn brown jacket and leaning on a cane, the other in a white shirt and with wild rumpled hair – adjusting something on a piece of equipment in front of them. A few people hung back, watching the proceedings – museum workers, or perhaps security guards.

Aleksis guessed what was coming… but he couldn't suppress a huge grin as Brawler shuddered, then lurched forward a step, slamming one armblade into the floor in an effort to keep his balance. The museum personnel screamed in terror and scattered, but the Jaeger seemed oblivious to their presence. He gave a long, hooting cry, shuddering, swaying back and forth… then, without further preamble, turned to the wall and plowed straight through. Brick and mortar crumbled like a stale cracker as he impacted against it, and the grandfather of all Jaegers vanished from sight. There was a brief glimpse of Newt pumping both fists and bellowing in victory, Hermann snapping something at him…

 _Hah!_ Cherno clapped his hands with a sound like metallic thunder. _It worked! Brawler Yukon is mobile and free! We have another Jaeger!_

"Don't celebrate too soon," Sasha warned him. "We do not know what kind of shape he's in, and he still has to make it to the Shatterdome. He could be intercepted before he gets here."

Ilya snorted. "He's a giant mecha, how are they going to stop him?"

The newscaster had resumed speaking by this point. _"Brawler Yukon's progress down the Pacific Coast is being tracked by the US and Canadian militaries, but no aggressive action will be taken at this time. Dr. Lightcap is unavailable for comment at this time…"_

"Shut it off."

Aleksis glanced up at Marshal Hansen, who stood just outside Cherno's hangar. "The newscast is not over."

"Shut it off," Herc repeated. "Just got a call from Tendo. He filled me in on the whole story, not just what the news sees fit to report."

He nodded and switched off the television, then stood with a wince as his bad leg complained. "I trust you will tell us the full story as well?"

"Gonna tell everyone as soon as they get assembled," Herc replied. "Cherno too. Not you, Ilya, sorry – no offense but you're a civilian. This is Ranger business."

"Bah," Ilya said dismissively, waving his hand. "Never you mind. My nephews will tell me later."

"They better not," Herc retorted, but Aleksis guessed that the Marshal wasn't exactly going to enforce silence at this point.

The Rangers had assembled in a loose knot in the center of the Jaeger bay, and all five of the sentient Jaegers gathered in a ring around them. Aleksis noted with amusement that Gipsy and Striker were holding hands, looking less like a pair of Kaiju-slaughtering warriors and more like school sweethearts. He wondered how their Rangers were taking their relationship.

As soon as Aleksis and Sasha joined the group, Herc clapped his hands for attention. "All right, listen up, everyone! I just got off the phone with Marshal Choi. You might have guessed from the news already, but Brawler Yukon is movin' on his own… an' he's on his way here!"

A wild cheer erupted from nearly everyone within earshot. Even Lance whooped, pumping his fist, though he shut up quickly when Lexie elbowed him in the ribs.

"Lightcap reports that gettin' his optical sensors fixed was a success, an' that he should be able to make it to the _Ao Kuang_ in Seattle without much trouble. From there it'll be a week or so before he gets to Hong Kong. Lightcap's comin' with him, an' Tendo, Geizler, an' Gottlieb'll catch a plane and should be here tomorrow."

"How many Jaegers do you expect us to cram in here?" demanded Lexie. "This place is already a zoo with five of them."

"This place was built to hold up to twenty Jaegers at a time," Jin reminded her. It's not like we're hurting for space."

"She's kinda got a point," said Lance. "I mean… are we expecting the Jaegers to stay here forever? Or are they going to want their own place at some point? I can't imagine keeping them cooped up here is going to make them happy."

Herc opened his mouth as if to tell the Rossis off, then slowly shut it. "Dammit… I hate to admit it, but you're right."

" _We have thought of that,"_ Gipsy said at last, the voice issuing from her synthesizer smooth and calm. _"Of someday having a home of our own outside the Shatterdome. But we accept this place as our home for now. There's still a war to fight, and we'll stay and fight it. After the war… we'll decide what to do from there. But wherever I go after the war, I expect to take Raleigh and Mako with me. We're family, and I won't be separated from my family again."_

" _Gipsy's right,"_ Striker added, nodding sharply. _"We got a war to fight, and we ain't abandoning it now."_

" _Seconded,"_ Crimson chimed in.

Herc nodded sharply. "That settles it, then. Our first priority is the war, an' sealin' off the Breach once an' for all. But we ain't gonna forget about you Jaegers either – once this war's over, we're gonna make sure you get the credit you deserve. In the meantime… let's get another hangar cleared out for Brawler. An' remember, he's the first Jaeger – I expect you all to treat 'im with respect!"

Crimson bobbed his head eagerly, and Aleksis guessed it was only his fear of accidentally stepping on someone that kept him from bouncing from foot to foot. He couldn't help a smile at the sight. Who would have pegged the Mark IV as such a fanboy of the elder Jaegers?

Still, he couldn't help but wonder a little at Lexie's words as the meeting dispersed. They had never thought much past the Kaiju War, never let themselves think much further ahead than the next battle… but once the Precursor menace was destroyed at last, what would come next? And while the world had accepted the Jaegers with open arms, was there room in said world for a race of metal giants?

_There will be, Papa. Don't worry about it._

He looked up at Cherno. "How can you be sure?"

_The Jaegers have been talking to Dr. Lightcap. She says she may have a solution. A way to ensure we have a home among humans after the war._

"What solution?"

Cherno trilled smugly. _It's a secret. She wants to save it for the end of the war._

Aleksis had never imagined that his own Jaeger would keep a secret from him, but no matter how he and Sasha pleaded, he refused to speak about it any further. It seemed they had further incentive to win the war once and for all now.

* * *

"Ow! Dammit, that hurts!"

"Oh, it's not that bad," the medic assured him in a meant-to-be-soothing-but-instead-irritating tone, not looking up from extracting the needle from Chuck's arm. "It's a tetanus shot, not an amputation."

"I think an amputation might actually be better!"

"Don't tempt me to test that out," she replied dryly, pressing an adhesive bandage to the injection site. "That's it, then. Don't get your stitches wet or take the bandage off for at least twenty-four hours. Come back here the instant it starts looking like it might be getting infected."

"How long do they gotta stay in?"

"Five to ten days. Try not to rip them out, will you? It's never pretty when that happens."

Chuck grumbled a general agreement and glanced down at the white bandage wrapped around his left forearm. Damnit, of all the stupid ways to hurt himself. He'd gone to burn off some energy by throwing scrap around in the Jaeger bay – there was still plenty of scrap metal and damaged mechanical parts left over from various repairs. It was a good way to let out some pent-up irritation and clear his mind, especially after dealing with the mental bleed-over from Striker's sudden infatuation with Gipsy.

A good way provided you didn't grab and throw a particularly jagged chunk of rusty metal and gash your arm open in the process, at least. Which was what he had just brainlessly done.

It could have been a lot worse, he figured. At least he hadn't bled out – Sasha had been close by and had grabbed his arm to pinch off the big vein he'd nicked. And Striker had somehow managed to keep his head – though he was going to tell him off for telling Herc about the accident first thing. Dammit, he wasn't a boy anymore, he didn't need it reported to his father every time he hurt himself. And it wasn't like he was just going to tape the wound shut and go about his business instead of going to the medical center about it.

_Sure you would._

"Shut it, Striker," he muttered. "I only did that the one time."

_Once is enough. An' that was just a finger. This coulda killed you._

"Takes more than a cut arm to kill me, remember?"

_Don't joke about this! Chuck, you scared me… never seen you bleed that much before. An' the doctor said that rusted metal coulda given you some kind of awful disease if you didn't get the shot. I almost lost you once. I ain't gonna lose you again, you hear?_

Chuck rubbed the skin immediately around the bandage. "So you do still worry about me, eh?"

Even from here he fancied that he could hear Striker's snort. _Come on, Chuck. Don't be like this. Sure, I like Gipsy. She's funny an' brave an' sweet, how can a mecha not like her? But you're my Ranger… my brother. Nothin' changes that. An' I protect my family, whether it's from a Kaiju or from their own stubborn pride._

Despite his irritation, Chuck couldn't help a bit of a smile. "Aw… you do care."

_Don't tell Raleigh about it. Still got a reputation to protect an' all. You comin' back or what?_

"I'm on my way," he replied, standing. "Can't stand one more minute of this place."

_So how is it that you can look a Kaiju in the eye without flinching but a nice lady with a medical degree an' a needle scares the piss outta you?_

"Oh, shut up."

As he turned to go his gaze fell on the bed close by. Under normal circumstances the curtains surrounding the bed were drawn, but a nurse had pulled them open in order to check the patient's vital signs. Its occupant looked to be asleep at the moment, or something close to it – her eyelids were shut, though vivid scratches still marred the skin around them as if she'd tried to claw her own eyes out, and her face, though troubled, had relaxed some from its usual state of perpetual terror.

Chuck gave a shudder. No, the poking and prodding and needles were not the worst parts of the medical center, even given his needle-phobia. The worst part was knowing the cult's priestess was still here, trapped in a nightmarish drift with one or more of the Precursors. Never mind that she'd done it to herself – it was still horrifying to think about, and creepy to look at.

The nurse looked up and offered a bit of a smile. "Her vital signs are still good. That's a good sign."

"I dunno how anything 'bout her condition can be a good sign," Chuck admitted.

"I suppose that's true. But we're doing the best we can-"

Mikhail's eyes shot open, and she sat bolt upright in her bed, a nerve-rending scream ripping from her throat. The nurse shrieked and took off running, and even Chuck backpedaled a step or two. Those eyes… they were no longer human, but wild and animal with a terror he couldn't begin to fathom.

"Bloody hell-" he began, but a hand clamping onto his wrist cut him off. Mikhail's fingers dug into his arm like claws, yanking him closer.

"Leggo! Crazy bitch! Someone call a doctor!"

Mikhail's other hand shot up to grab his shirt, pulling him closer. Before he could gather his wits enough to fight back, she had thrust her mouth to his ear and was speaking in a frenzied whisper.

"They're coming," she rasped. "The Messengers… they're coming…"

"What are you blatherin' about?" Chuck demanded.

"The Deep Ones… sending a final message…" A hysterical laugh. "This world is theirs… and none can take it from them… except the Destroyers, the metal titans of this world… and they'll be the first to go…"

Chuck's jaw dropped. "The Jaegers?"

Her fingers tightened on his wrist until he grimaced. "Beware, Ranger… blood will spill… the Messengers… are coming… an army… there… there will… be… war…"

Whatever else she had to say caught in her throat, and she released him, falling back onto the bed. She jerked and writhed as if hit with a taser, eyes rolling back, spit foaming at her lips. Even before doctors and nurses converged on the bed, hiding her from view, Chuck got the feeling that she wasn't going to be in any shape to talk again.

_Ya think whatever Precursor she's linked to decided to shut her up for good?_

"I ain't a Precursor expert, but yeah," Chuck replied. "The hell was she blatherin' anyhow?"

_Are you daft, Chuck? That wasn't gibberish, that was a warning! More Kaiju are on their way! An' from the sound of it not just a double event… maybe a triple, or quadruple, or even worse! This is an all-out strike against the Shatterdome!_

Chuck turned and bolted from the medical center. "Tell Dad, quick!"

_Already done! He's swearin' up a storm right now, but once he's done-_

The blare of alarms drowned out the rest of his sentence. Kaiju had been spotted. The assault on the Shatterdome had begun.


	29. A Kaiju Army

The news that not one, not two, but an entire pack of Kaiju were bearing down on Hong Kong had the entire Shatterdome in a frenzy. Mechanics swarmed over the Jaegers, ensuring all of them were in full repair and proper fighting condition. All non-essential personnel were ordered into the Kaiju shelter in the lower levels, though some of them made it quite clear that they didn't want to go. Ilya in particular swore in Russian the entire way, swatting at the hands of the security personnel that were escorting him to the protective sanctuary.

In the LOCCENT the new head technician, a short middle-aged woman whom everyone simply called Bishop, looked up from the readouts. "It's not good, Marshal."

"This ain't the time to be vague, Bishop!" Herc snapped. "How many Kaiju we got?"

"At least ten," she replied.

"Jesus H. Christ," he growled.

"No, make that eleven," she went on, ignoring his oath. "A new one just popped up. One Category 5, three Category 4s, three Category 3s, four Category 2s. Two of the 3s look to be clones of Mutavore and Knifehead, one of the 4s Scunner, one of the 2s Katschei, and another 4 looks like a giant version of Trespasser, but the rest are new creations as best as we can tell."

"You sure that 5 ain't Slattern 2.0?"

"Positive, sir. The body shape is just too different."

"How long 'fore they reach the harbor?"

"Half an hour if their speed stays constant."

He nodded sharply. "Jaegers, get ready to move out! Rossis, get suited up and to your Conn Pod! We're gonna need every Jaeger available for this!"

One readout screen promptly filled with text, mostly English but with Cyrillic and Mandarin characters as well. The Jaegers heeded the call, and would go out to fight, defending humanity as they had always done. It was a shame they'd be short one fighter for this battle, with Brawler still in transit, but since when did disaster ever wait for a convenient moment to strike?

 _We can handle this, Pops,_ Striker assured him.

"There's nearly a dozen of the bastards," Herc countered, earning a puzzled look from Bishop before she realized he was conversing with his Jaeger. "No Jaeger's taken on more'n two or three at once, an' even then Slattern an' her cronies nearly killed you. You sure about this?"

 _We can do this,_ he insisted. _It's what we're made for. Just keep them damn Rossis outta my way an' well be good._

"Will do my best."

Aleksis stared at the readout, jaw clenched, knuckles whitening as his hands balled up into fists. "We should be out there. We should be fighting with our Jaegers, not cowering and hiding while they risk their lives in our steads."

"Calm down, Aleksis," Herc advised. "Yer drivin' me nuts." That wasn't a lie – the sight of the gigantic Ranger rocking from foot to foot reminded him uncomfortably of a bull readying itself for a charge. Or a bear, considering who they were talking about.

"He's right," Raleigh put in. "We've fought alongside our Jaegers for so long. We should be out there with them!"

"They're self-mobile now, Beckett," Herc reminded him. "They don't need us anymore. We go out there, we're as useless as a one-legged racehorse. They can handle this without us."

Aleksis narrowed his eyes. "You are a Ranger, Marshal Hansen. You feel the call to fight, the same as we do. Do not deny it."

Herc glared back, then shook his head. "Yer right. I fought with Striker an' Chuck for a long time, an' it kills me to be lookin' on from the outside while he fights. But there's nothin' we can do. The Jaegers don't need us anymore, like it or not. It's time for 'em to stand on their own."

Aleksis' jaw clamped harder, and for a moment Herc wondered if he was going to be on the receiving end of a Russian roundhouse. But Sasha rested a slim hand on his arm, and his shoulders relaxed slightly. The two of them retreated to watch a screen that showed the waters of Victoria Harbor, where the Jaegers were already moving into position.

Herc turned his own attention to the screen that showed the approaching Kaiju, eight scarlet blots that crawled across the ocean in a loose, ever-shifting formation as they closed in on Hong Kong. No, he didn't like this at all. If being sidelined during Operation Pitfall, Striker taking the blows and sacrificing his body while he could only stand and watch, had been difficult, this was pure torture. Striker was more than just a partner in battle… he was a son. And being forced to stand back and do nothing as he put his life on the line cut him deeply.

 _Dammit, stop gettin' sappy,_ he told himself. _All children grow up an' find their independence sooner or later. Maybe takin' on Kaiju's a mile off from goin' to college, but it's still his way of strikin' off on his own. Learn to let go._

"Twenty miles and closing in!" Bishop barked.

Herc nodded once and reached down, finding Max and kneading the loose skin over his shoulders. The Jaegers were assembling; now all they could do was put their trust in the titanic mecha they had inadvertently given life, and hope they were enough to protect a city… and a world.

* * *

Despite the gravity of the situation, Cherno couldn't help but think that it was a shame such a beautiful day had to be spoiled by a Kaiju attack. The sky was a brilliant, almost metallic blue, with only a smattering of clouds on the horizon to mar it. Sunlight glittered on the ocean's surface, and gentle breakers foamed over the rocky shore behind him. Even the city looked unusually serene today… serene if you ignored the discordant wail of the Kaiju alarms, their atonal cries echoing from the buildings and muffling the usual hum of traffic.

Crimson "nudged" him lightly. _Don't space off now, Cherno._

_I'm not spacing off. I'm ready._

_I just don't want any of us caught off guard. The Kaiju outnumber us almost two-to-one. We can't afford mistakes._

_Tell that to the bloody wetbacks,_ Striker huffed. _When're they gonna get their blasted zombie Jaeger out here anyhow?_

 _They're coming,_ Gipsy assured him, and gestured toward the Shatterdome. A cluster of Jumphawks drifted close, the staccato thunder of their rotors filling the air as they lowered Mustang Omega into position. Cables detached with a snap, and the black Jaeger landed heavily between Coyote and Crimson, legs braced to steady itself and keep its balance.

 _Get it away from me,_ growled Coyote. _It's unnatural._

 _Just ignore it as best you can,_ Crimson advised. _Let the Rossis do their thing, and we'll do ours._

 _Don't call him an "it,"_ Cherno protested. _Remember what Lightcap said – Mustang could become sentient someday. He deserves respect too._

Crimson turned to regard Cherno, and his words were hard as he spoke. _It's difficult to respect a Jaeger who tried to kill you. Or Rangers who would disrespect not only us, but their own Jaeger, so badly._

 _Enough yappin', everyone,_ Striker snapped. _Here they come!_

Up ahead, the ocean seethed like a boiling cauldron, a churning mass of flesh and water that glowed a lurid blue with alien bioluminescence. As the Jaegers watched a familiar head broke the surface – a hideous, yellow-veined affair with a fanged crescent of a mouth reminiscent of a shark's. Its snout jutted out in a saber-like point, and wickedly clawed forelimbs spread wide in a wrestler's stance. It threw its head back and delivered a deep, ululating roar that carried easily across the mile or so that separated mecha and monster.

 _Knifehead._ A shudder passed through Crimson's frame. _Category 3, destroyed off the coast of Anchorage, Alaska, though at the loss of a Ranger. Largest Category 3 on record… and is it me or does this one look bigger?_

Cherno "nudged" Crimson firmly to get him to shut up, his gaze moving to Gipsy. This was the Kaiju that had felled her in combat, sending her to Oblivion Bay and killing one of her Rangers while disgracing the other. Would facing this beast again, the one that had caused her so much pain and humiliation, terrify her as facing Otachi had terrified him?

The blue Jaeger just stared as Knifehead swung its massive head back and forth, saber-muzzle striking the water and sending up white sheets of spray. She seemed transfixed at the sight, frozen in either fear or amazement, unable to look away…

Striker's hand found hers, clasping it tightly and squeezing. She shook her Conn Pod and turned to face him, and the Mark V gave her a reassuring nod. Returning the gesture, she transmitted a message to every Jaeger's readout.

KNIFEHEAD IS MINE.

"You sure, Gipsy?" Raleigh asked from the LOCCENT. "You don't have to do this…"

YES I DO, she replied, and she raised her hands and made a show of cracking her knuckles. I HAVE A BROTHER TO AVENGE.

Silence. Then Raleigh replied in a voice thick with emotion "Give that sonofabitch a few punches for me, girl."

SHE WILL, Striker assured him. IN THE MEANTIME, I'LL TAKE THE MUTAVORE KNOCKOFF. BASTARD SHOULD HAVE STAYED DEAD THE FIRST TIME.

"Are you tin freaks going to call dibs on all the Kaiju?" demanded Lexie. "Seriously…"

The only thing that saved Lexie from having five Jaegers and the LOCCENT snap at her at once was the ocean exploding with the force of titanic bodies erupting from it. A chorus of horrifying roars filled the air until it shook with rage, and the mass of alien flesh formed a wall of gray hide and blue luminescence that blocked the horizon. Cherno spotted Mutavore almost instantly, the sweeping twin projections on its back jutting up like stunted wings. Scunner, with its demonic bull-like head and twin sets of arms, and Trespasser, with its high-ridged snout and yellow-veined body, were also easy to pick out. The others… if they were clones of any Kaiju that had already surfaced, he didn't recognize them right away…

Then a sleek feline form shouldered its way past Scunner and prowled closer, its belly dragging in the water, its scissor-clawed tail sweeping back and forth. Cherno felt his engine stutter in sudden recognition. The double-set of yellow eyes, the fanged maw, the spiny ridge down its back… this was the Kaiju that had taken down Eden Assassin, killing his Rangers and piercing his core, ending his life before he could know the joy of true sentience…

 _You really are Katschei the Deathless,_ he thought, anger roiling in his core.

 _What?_ Crimson jerked his Conn Pod toward him, radiating confusion.

 _I'll tell you later,_ he replied. _But I'm taking down Katschei. I owe an old friend that much._

Crimson nodded.

"Y'all stand back, you hear?" Lance ordered. "Don't get in Mustang's way."

DON'T WORRY, Coyote replied, not bothering to hide her disgust in any way. THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS INTERFERE WITH YOUR FOOLISHNESS.

"Enough snarking!" Herc ordered. "Just keep those buggers from making landfall! Hong Kong's depending on you!"

Bishop's voice piped up at that moment. "Code names for Category 2s: Katschei 2.0, Razorback, Kali, Wendigo. Code names for Category 3s, Mutavore 2.0, Knifehead 2.0, Ironside. Code names for Category 4s, Scunner 2.0, Mega-Trespasser, Staghead. The Category 5 is sticking close to the ocean floor, we can't get a good scan of it yet."

"Mega-Trespasser, seriously?" demanded Lance. "Are we in an anime all of a sudden?"

"Oh, hush," Bishop snapped.

The ten Kaiju stilled, their restless shifting and tail-lashing coming to a halt as they formed a living wall across the mouth of Victoria Harbor. The Jaegers fanned out in loose formation, Mustang Omega at the fore, the others flanking it on either side. Blades slid out, cannons and missiles hummed with power, joints creaked as they tensed for a punch or a leap. An unsettling calm fell upon the battlefield, interrupted by the occasional snort or hiss from the Kaiju and the never-ending wail of the city's sirens.

Was it Cherno's imagination, or were those hideous creatures grinning at them? There was something profoundly disturbing at how still they were, as if the Kaiju knew something they didn't…

 _They're just… standing there,_ Crimson worried. _They usually attack right away. What are they waiting for?_

 _Then we make the first move,_ Coyote snarled, and stepped forward… only for Gipsy's arm to bar the way.

_No! It could be a trap! The Precursors must be planning something…_

"Oh, screw this," Lexie snapped, and Mustang surged forward, blades out, shoulders lowered like a linebacker plowing through an opposing team.

MUSTANG, STOP! Cherno took a few steps toward the Mark VI, knowing he was too slow to stop it but desperate to try…

The sea boiled again, and a titanic form burst from the water behind the other Kaiju. A massive, low-slung body emerged, a body that might have towered a good fifty meters over Scunner had it stood upright. Its head reared up over the heads of its fellows, a head reminiscent of an alligator's with a dangling throat pouch. Two sets of short, hook-clawed arms were held close against its chest and belly, and three spade-tipped tails churned the water behind it. Its back bore what at first looked like leathery overlapping scales, but as Cherno watched he swore he could see the "scales" twitching and pulsing, as if they had lives of their own.

"Dibs on the big one!" Lance shouted as Mustang charged, shoving the lanky multi-armed Kaiju that must have been Kali aside. Kali stumbled into Scunner, but made no move to retaliate to the blow. Cherno had never seen a non-aggressive Kaiju before, and seeing Kali so calm disturbed him.

MUSTANG, GET BACK HERE, Coyote ordered. THIS IS SOME KIND OF TRAP-

The Category 5 opened its maw – a maw that split four ways, the alien throat glowing an eerie blue. And with a wild, terrible howl, all hell broke loose.

Mustang stumbled back at the force of the scream, arm-blades flailing. Before it could right itself, it was buffeted on all sides by leathery wings. The "scales" on the massive Kaiju's back were peeling away and going airborne, revealing themselves as creatures the size of a light airplane. Bat-winged and spider-faced monstrosities clogged the air, battering the Jaegers on all sides.

 _Bloody Oblivion!_ Striker swore, swiping an arm through the air to shoo the creatures away.

"What the buggin' hell are those things?" demanded Herc. "Now Kaiju have fleas or somethin'?"

"Some sort of weaponized parasite," Bishop realized. "Category 5 Kaiju now code-named Armada. Recommendation that it be taken down first-"

It was at that moment that the other Kaiju charged, screaming their rage and battle-lust, plowing through the cloud of flying creatures and knocking Mustang flat. They slammed into the other Jaegers, claws tearing, jaws snapping in the hope of catching a limb or Conn Pod in their pulverizing grip. The squeal of talons and fangs on steel tore the air, and the thud of metal on flesh and flesh on metal boomed like thunder. Where there had once been an unsettling calm, bedlam reigned.

Cherno himself felt a body crushing against him on either side – Scunner and the bony-armored, appropriately-named Ironside, the two of them trying to squeeze his internals into scrap. He pounded ineffectually at the horny hide pressed against his front, but it was like trying to beat a mountain into submission. Pain lanced through his reactor tower as Scunner thrust a horn through the metal, neck tendons straining as he tried to rip it open.

"Cherno, get the hell out of there! Go for the-" Herc's advice abruptly cut to static.

MARSHAL! Cherno tried to reply, but no answer came. Somehow, whether through the Kaiju themselves or the interference of the cult, they had been cut off from the LOCCENT. They were on their own.

His chassis groaned in protest, threatening to buckle from the force of two Kaiju bodies squeezing against it. He continued to pummel Ironside, but the Kaiju just opened its mouth in a deadly grin, piggish yellow eyes glinting from within deep eye sockets.

 _Go for the what?_ he thought desperately. _What was he going to say? Where do I hit him? He's got armor everywhere… except..._

He drew one fist back, activated his Tesla coils, and put all his strength behind the blow. Ironside screamed as he took an electricity-laced punch to the eye socket, staggering back. Cherno and Scunner stumbled forward, but Cherno recovered quickly and lashed backwards with another fist, feeling the horned Kaiju's jaw crack under the blow.

Ironside shook his head, cyan blood streaming down from his injured eye. He lowered his head and charged forward with a hooting bellow, but Cherno just barely managed to sidestep the monster. It impacted against Scunner, who was still trying to regain his balance, and both Kaiju went down in a screaming heap.

Cherno allowed himself a chuckle… only for a sudden weight on his shoulders and reactor tower to make him stagger. Katschei had pounced, and was now doing his level best to chew through his chassis and get to his internals.

Cherno caught nightmare flashes of the rest of the battlefield as he writhed, struggling to throw the Kaiju off. Crimson was struggling to fend off Knifehead and Kali, saws whirling, but his attackers were slowly backing him toward shore. Gipsy was locked in a deadly embrace with the enlarged clone of Trespasser, unaware that Scunner was edging closer, ready to attack from behind. Striker tried to lunge forward to stop the horned Kaiju, only for the prong-horned, uncharacteristically sleek form of Staghead to bar his way. Coyote bellowed in rage as she faced down three Kaiju at once, her fists slamming into Mutavore and Razorback and Ironside again and again, but it was obvious she was fighting a losing battle.

Mustang still hadn't risen, and Cherno wondered if the Kaiju's first charge hadn't crushed it beyond repair. Then he had no more time to wonder – claws dug into his shoulders, and even as he tried to pry them out the horrific form of Wendigo circled around to face him. Bulbous-eyed and hunch-backed, with wide jaws that dripped with acidic slaver, it stalked in for the kill.

* * *

Shatterdomes had come under attack before, but it had always been by individual Kaiju. Never before had the Jaeger program faced an assault like this – not one titanic monster, but over a hundred smaller ones that were no less deadly for their size. The same slate-gray of their Kaiju hosts, with membranous wings veined in blue and multiple eyes set in screeching spider-like faces, they poured into the Jaeger bay through the open doors, swooping down to snatch up crew members and technicians who didn't make it to cover in time.

Bishop gave a yell of shock as over a dozen of the monsters crashed against the windows of the LOCCENT, beating at the reinforced glass with wings and claws and mandibles. Cracks webbed the transparent barrier with every blow, spreading rapidly even as those inside watched.

"Bloody hell!" Chuck cursed. "They got an air force now!"

"Please tell me you have guns in here!" Raleigh shouted.

"Never needed 'em before!" Herc retorted. "What good are guns against Kaiju?"

Glass exploded inward as one of the creatures finally broke into the LOCCENT. Sasha didn't even stop to think – she grabbed the nearest chair and raised it over her head, heaving it at the beast wriggling its way in. It screeched as the chair impacted against it, crushing it against the console. Bright blue ichor sprayed out as it flailed wildly, then went limp.

"They're fragile," she noted grimly, feeling a burst of satisfaction temper her horror. "Not nearly as tough as Kaiju."

"Yeah, but they make up for that in numbers," Raleigh pointed out. "How are we supposed to fight this?"

Before she could answer, two more of the creatures forced their way through the broken window. Aleksis, Raleigh, and Chuck grabbed chairs, while Herc ducked behind a terminal and emerged carrying a fire ax. It wasn't much against an army of winged monsters, but hopefully it would be enough to hold them back until a better solution presented itself.

"Bishop, hit the panic button!" Herc ordered. "Then get the hell outta here!"

She opened a panel on the console and struck the button – the alarm that would bring the Chinese military to the Shattertome – then turned to bolt. The rest of the technicians made to follow, but claws snatched two of the stragglers, and they screamed as they were carried out the shattered window.

"Mako, get out of here!" Raleigh shouted.

"I'm not leaving you!" she insisted, striding forward with a fire extinguisher in both hands.

Sasha chanced a glance at the Wei Tang brothers. Of the three of them, two were finally free of their wheelchairs but still shaky on their feet. Nonetheless, all three of them looked determined to hold their ground, ready to fight the flying creatures off with their fists if need be. She only hoped it wouldn't come to that…

Another glass panel shattered, and a blast of foul breath hit her face. Blindly she swung, and the chair in her arms impacted against something that flew back with a sickening crack. To her left, Aleksis roared as he flung his own chair at a cluster of the winged beasts, then reached out and grabbed another around the neck, crushing its throat bare-handed. On her right, Mako blasted one in the face, and it fell thrashing as it struggled to clear its eyes with its claws, only to succeed in bloodying its nightmare of a face.

Claws ripped down Sasha's back, and she screamed and jammed her fist into a hideous yellow eye. Over and over she struck with both fists and her improvised weapon, but it seemed that for every creature she took down, two more replaced it.

 _Mama!_ Cherno's voice rang in her mind, frantic with pain and terror. _Papa! What's going on?_

 _Don't worry about us!_ she urged. _This is our fight… focus on yours. We'll be all right!_ A lie and they both knew it… but neither of them was in much position to help the other. All any of them could do was keep fighting, and try their hardest to survive.

* * *

Beneath the LOCCENT, in a sleek amber-tinted Conn Pod that had never properly rested on a Jaeger's shoulders, the Rossi twins flailed in their harnesses, struggling to right their fallen mecha. Completely oblivious to the wings and claws battering their pod, they filled their stationary cockpit with angry shouts and swearing.

"God-frakking-dammit!" Lance howled, writhing against the controls. "I think that ugly one just stepped on Mustang!"

"They're all the ugly ones, moron!" Lexie retorted. "Just get this crate on its feet! Goddammit, where's the freaks when you need 'em? We could use a hand here!"

"Oh, so they're useless freaks until we need 'em?"

"Shut up and get this bucket of bolts up!"

Miles away, Mustang's joints groaned as it struggled to push itself upright again. A massive foot landed on its shoulder, flattening it again, and alarms sounded in its distant Conn Pod as crush damage registered.

LEFT ARM INOPERABLE. REDUCED POWER TO LEFT MISSILE LAUNCHERS.

Lexie turned the air blue with a string of invective that would have made a prison inmate blush. "Freaking useless piece of scrap! Can't this thing do anything right?"

Something tickled their minds in the back of the drift… a burst of emotion not their own. It was faint, but noticeable, and reminded Lance almost of the sort of plaintive whine a young puppy would make when scolded for wetting the carpet. His gut clenched as a storm of emotions rolled through his own mind – shock, guilt, sympathy, the sudden desire to spill out an apology…

"Lance, snap out of it!" Lexie shrieked. "We've got to get up before we get trampled!"

"Lexie, don't tell me you didn't feel that!" he shouted. "That was Mustang! Did you feel that?"

"You're gonna feel my boot up your ass if you don't help me!"

"Lexie, for Christ's sake, Mustang's alive!"

"Not you too! Shut up, this isn't the time for-"

The glass in Mustang Omega's Conn Pod had never been properly reinforced – seeing as said Conn Pod was never intended to actually see battle, what was the point? That proved a costly mistake as a winged Kaiju parasite smashed through the glass, showering the bickering Rangers with transparent shrapnel. It wrenched through the broken glass, heedless of the shards tearing strips out of its own hide, and lunged at them with blue-tinged venom dripping from its mandibles.

In the Jaeger bay, the ground crews could only stare in horror as the creatures swarmed the Conn Pod, shattering glass and forcing their way inside. Splitting screams rang through the air, followed by ugly rending sounds as the Rossis, trapped by their control harnesses, fell to the onslaught.

In Victoria Harbor, Mustang Omega shuddered once, then fell back to the sea floor, limp and unresponsive.


	30. A Comrade Returns

Cherno Alpha fell to his knees, lurching forward as Katschei's weight threw him off-balance. The Kaiju dug its claws in, fangs squealing across the Jaeger's thick armor, snarling in rage. Before him, Wendigo slunk closer, mouth open in a demented grin and dripping blue-tinged slaver. Unlike Otachi it seemed incapable of projectile-style spitting, but Cherno knew all it would take was one spit-laden bite to be lethal.

 _Lightcap-scrappin'-dammit!_ Striker's oath perfectly echoed Cherno's thoughts at the moment. _There's too many of 'em!_

 _Don't give up!_ Gipsy urged. _We've got to destroy them! Hong Kong and the Shatterdome are counting on – AARGH!_

 _Gip!_ Striker's cry rang with terror. Cherno felt a stab of fear in his own core. Had Gipsy fallen in battle? Been destroyed? He struggled to peer around Wendigo, and the Kaiju slid to one side, almost as if obliging him.

_Gipsy!_

The Mark III wasn't down for good… not yet. But her Conn Pod had been absolutely shredded, nearly half of it obliterated. Trespasser still clutched her in a bear hug, shreds of metal hanging from its jaws, and even as Cherno watched it spit out a mouthful of mangled steel and lunged forward for another bite.

 _Not on my watch ya don't!_ Striker bellowed, and he shoved his way past Staghead and charged. Cherno caught a glimpse of Trespasser throwing its head back in an agonized roar as Striker's armblade buried itself between its shoulder blades before Wendigo shifted again, lunging in for the kill.

Cherno didn't stop to think – he reached up and grabbed Katschei, yanking for all he was worth. Trails of fire tore across his armor as the Kaiju's claws ripped out huge slashes, but he ignored the pain. With a mighty heave, he flung Katschei at Wendigo. Both Kaiju went down in a squalling heap, Katschei yowling as Wendigo's acid seared its flesh, Wendigo shrieking in agony as Katschei's back spikes pierced its huge eyes.

With another heave Cherno pushed himself to his feet, and he lunged forward and began to pummel both Kaiju, letting all his rage and fear and thirst for revenge pour out with each blow. Bones and teeth snapped beneath his knuckles, and though spines worked their way into his finger joints and acid burned his fists, he didn't let up. He'd fought through worse pain than this, and if killing the Kaiju before they reached the Shatterdome meant he took injury… then so be it.

_Cherno, enough!_

A hand clamped onto his shoulder, yanking him back. He wheeled around and took a swing, only for Coyote to grab his fist and stay the blow. His fellow Mark I was leaking black fluid from a deep wound in her side, but she seemed steady enough on her feet that he tried not to worry too much.

 _It's only me,_ she informed him. _Enough. They are dead. Beating them into mincemeat will accomplish nothing._

He shuddered, his bloodlust fading. _Gipsy… Striker… Crimson… the others… we have to help them!_

 _It's over,_ Coyote replied. _The Kaiju are retreating._

Bafflement flooded him, wiping out the rage for good. _Kaiju never retreat! They're like rabid dogs – they just keep fighting until they're put down._ Not that he'd ever seen a rabid dog or even knew what being "rabid" really meant – but his mother had used that analogy, and if it was good enough for his parents, it was good enough for him.

Coyote jerked her Conn Pod to the side, and Cherno turned to see a ripple of blue sweeping out to sea – Armada surging back into the depths, with her smaller compatriots following close behind. A spade-tipped tail broke the surface briefly, flicking in their direction once before vanishing beneath the waves for good. It was almost as if Armada had made it a taunting gesture, like a raised middle finger, and Cherno had to suppress the urge to go wading after her and rip her tails off. If it was possible to teach a Kaiju manners, he wanted to be the first to do it.

 _Striker killed Mega-Trespasser,_ Coyote noted. _Crimson killed Ironside and Kali, and it seems you took care of Wendigo and Katschei. The rest fled with Armada._

_Why? Kaiju have never fled before. And they had us outnumbered – they could have pressed the advantage. Not that I wanted them to…_

A high roar cut into his thoughts, and for a core-rending moment he thought Armada had resurfaced and come to catch them off guard. But a V of fighter jets streaked overhead, and he relaxed slightly.

 _That must be why they retreated,_ Crimson noted, wading closer. _The military. They saw the jets and knew it was time to cut their losses._ The Mark IV's right arms dangled loosely at his side, only a few cables keeping the limb from falling off entirely, and most of the paint had been stripped from his chest and torso, but like Cherno and Coyote, he seemed intent on ignoring his wounds.

 _They've never been frightened of jets before,_ Coyote pointed out. _More likely they accomplished what they came to do._

 _The Shatterdome,_ Cherno realized, and horror gripped him anew. _Mama! Papa! Answer me!_

 _We're okay, Cherno._ Sasha's voice was weak and pained, but present. _Marshal Hansen sent a distress call to China's military. They're shooting down the last of the flying creatures as we speak._

Cherno relaxed so suddenly he nearly toppled over. Crimson, too, relaxed.

 _The damages done to the LOCCENT are very bad,_ Aleksis added. _And many personnel were killed. But none of your Rangers were killed. That is one bright spot._

Cherno let his gaze sweep the battlefield, lingering on the five mangled corpses jutting from the water like grotesque islands. Blue Kaiju ichor swirled through the bay, mingling with the greasy iridescence of spilled oil and other vital mechanical fluids, and the bodies of fish and seabirds were already bobbing on the surface, felled by the toxic Kaiju Blue. Striker stood on the shore, carrying Gipsy in his arms, thrumming softly to comfort her even as he fretted over her wounds. The Shatterdome itself blazed with activity, gunfire echoing in staccato bursts from inside and military personnel swarming through every possible opening.

 _Right now,_ Cherno said gravely, _I think we need all the bright spots we can get._ His gaze moved to a sixth unlikely form in the waters of the harbor – a black form marked with scarlet, silent and still beneath the surface. _Papa, Mustang Omega has fallen… I think it's broken._

A baleful silence. Even before the words came, Cherno had realized what must have happened.

 _The flying creatures attacked Mustang's Conn Pod,_ Sasha replied. _The Rossis are dead._

* * *

It certainly hadn't been the worst assault on a Shatterdome in the history of the Kaiju War, Herc thought. But that hardly made things any better in his mind.

Soldiers cluttered the Shatterdome, and he desperately wished he had the authority to tell them to get lost. Yes, they had responded to the distress call, and he had to admit they'd been brutal and thorough, surging into the base and gunning down anything with wings. But now that their job was done he just wished they would go home. Instead they seemed intent on blocking the halls, jabbering away in Mandarin and laughing amongst themselves as if this was the greatest fun in their lives. Yes, some were actually making themselves useful by tending the wounded or sweeping the Shatterdome for any parasites that might have hidden, but for the most part they were just another headache to deal with in Herc's mind.

 _What a mess,_ he thought as he reached down to grab the leathery wing of a parasite, helping Hideaki and Janson drag the corpse into a growing pile in the center of the Jaeger bay. _What a bloody goddamn mess. Just when we think we got a handle on the Kaiju, they throw another wrench into things. Why can't they just bugger off and leave this planet alone?_

With a heave they tossed the corpse, and he wiped his hands on his pants and went to find another. If only the army would help with the cleanup efforts instead of just standing around looking like idiots…

"Hansen!"

"Oh bloody hell." He dropped the wing he'd just grabbed and turned around. "Welcome back, Tendo. Sorry for the lousy welcome."

Tendo looked around with a grim expression. "Good god… what a mess. I was hoping the news reports had been exaggerating."

"Dunno what they told you, but it sure ain't pretty."

Tendo nodded. "I'm tempted to say something snarky like 'I was only gone for five minutes,' but this doesn't seem like the time for it. How are the Jaegers?"

"Lost none of the sentient ones, at least," Herc replied. "Still not too pretty."

That was something of an understatement, he mused, as Tendo walked through the Jaeger bay to take in the damages. Coyote and Striker sat on either side of Gipsy, oblivious to the technicians swarming about Coyote's midsection and Striker's legs, both focused on trying to calm Gipsy until her Conn Pod could be rebuilt or replaced. Crimson stood stoically in his own hanger as his arms were reattached, while Cherno fidgeted slightly as repairs were made to his reactor tower.

"Gods," Tendo breathed, shaking his head. "I should be used to this by now, seeing Jaegers come back damaged and even crippled. But it never gets easier… and it's worse knowing that they're alive and can feel pain." He watched as Raleigh and Mako leaned against Gipsy's leg, doing their best to soothe her. "You specified sentient Jaegers, though… what about Mustang?"

Herc clenched his jaw. "The Rossis are dead."

Tendo's jaw dropped. "You're kidding."

"Wish I was. Those flyin' things swarmed their Conn Pod. Tore 'em to shreds. Techs about lost their lunches when we went down to unstrap 'em."

"Gods," he repeated. "We designed a Jaeger specifically to protect its Rangers and the Precursors still found its weakest point. There's just no staying ahead of them, is there?"

Herc just shrugged. He wanted to point out that he'd said a long time ago that the Mark VI project was a dead end, but he didn't feel like rubbing it in at the moment. Not when it had taken the deaths of two Rangers to prove his point.

Tendo sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I want all Jaegers repaired and restored to full functionality at all possible speed. An attack like this could come again, anytime and anywhere, and we have to be ready." He gestured to the heap of dead parasites. "Let's get these disposed of immediately, before they start to deteriorate."

"Hey, wait!" Newt bolted up, waving one arm frantically, the other hugging Spike close like the world's strangest therapy pet. "Save me a couple! I need 'em for research!"

"Fine… save the three most intact specimens for Dr. Geizler," Tendo corrected. "Contact Hannibal to dispose of the rest."

"Thanks," Newt grinned. "Sorry for shouting, but we've never seen these specimens before. Maybe I can weasel out some of their weaknesses."

Hermann rolled his eyes as he hobbled up to join the tableau. "After everything we've been through, you still have the Kaiju bug?"

"Hey, I can still find them fascinating even if they're dangerous, right?"

Herc and Tendo left the two of them to their bickering and headed for Mustang Omega's hangar. The Mark VI loomed silently over them, its shoulder joint still mangled, deep scratches marring its once-glossy paint. While every other Jaeger had a team of techs and mechanics falling over themselves to repair them, Mustang stood abandoned, without so much as a maintenance worker to hose the sand out of its ankle joints. It was as if the deaths of its Rangers had rendered it persona non grata _…_ or in this case mecha non grata.

Tendo sighed softly. "It's a shame, isn't it?"

"What's a shame?"

"I know the Rossis weren't popular… but even they didn't deserve to die that way." His gaze moved up and down Mustang's form. "Caitlyn was so hopeful that they'd come around, that they'd accept Mustang and help nurture its growth into a sentient being. But now that they're gone… it'll never get that chance."

Herc snorted. "Wouldn't have had a chance anyhow. Neither of 'em wanted Mustang to be alive. They were happy keepin' it as an overgrown action figure. If they'd been fightin' alongside it instead of from the safety of the Shatterdome, might've been a different story…"

"It's too late for I-told-you-sos, Hansen," Tendo retorted. "Too late." He shook his head and turned away from the Mark VI. "For now let's get the other Jaegers fully repaired, and get a hangar cleared out for Brawler Yukon. With any luck, he can fill in the gap in our ranks."

"What about Mustang?"

Tendo raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"You pushed for Mustang to be built. You really gonna just let it sit an' rot in that hangar?"

"I'm not about to let it 'sit and rot,' Hansen. But without Rangers, Mustang is inoperable. And with the Ranger training program still on hold, we have no candidates to replace the Rossis. At the moment, when the Precursors could launch an attack at any time, we're much better off focusing on our mobile Jaegers, and ensuring they're ready for battle."

Herc gave a sharp nod. "The Precursors are up to somethin'. What I dunno, but I don't like it. Kaiju don't retreat from a battle. It's unnatural."

"I agree. The simple answer is that so many Kaiju in one event was simply a distraction to let Armada take out as much of the Shatterdome as possible – and Mustang Omega as well – but nothing in this war has ever been simple. We're going to have to expect the unexpected from here on out."

"An' just how do you expect somethin' that's unexpected? Sounds like an oxymoron to me."

"Oh hush," Tendo ordered, only to find Herc grinning at him. "Is now really the time for jokes?"

Herc shook his head, giving a soft, resigned-sounding chuckle. "In a case like this, you either laugh or you cry. An' laughin's more productive at this point."

Tendo nodded, conceding that point. "Let's get back to work. We have a battle to prepare for."

* * *

An unsettling silence hovered over the Jaeger bay, an absence of sound that left the maintenance crews uneasy. It wasn't total silence – there was still the clank and whirr of machinery, the chatter of workers, the racket from the LOCCENT as work to restore the Shatterdome's mission control progressed. But the near-complete lack of noise coming from the Shatterdome's largest residents was not only noticeable, but worrying. After growing so used to the rumbling, crooning, and keening of the Jaegers, no one was prepared for them to go so suddenly silent.

Aleksis limped into Cherno's hangar, watching his Jaeger shift from foot to foot like a restless horse. He had never seen Cherno this quiet, and it disturbed him. If his son was hurting or afraid, he wanted to know. He might not be able to do anything to help, but he could damn well try.

"Cherno?"

Cherno stopped rocking and turned his attention to him. _Papa?_

"Talk to me, son. What is wrong?"

Cherno turned slightly, his gaze sweeping the bay. _Where's Mama?_

"Trying to talk your uncle Ilya into going home." And probably not succeeding – Ilya was a stubborn one – but it couldn't hurt to try, and she'd always had more luck talking sense into him than Aleksis did. "Little one, something is wrong. Tell me."

Cherno gave a soft whine, attracting curious stares from outside his hangar. _I don't know how to say it._

"What do you mean?"

_I have seen Jaegers fall in battle before. Eden Assassin, Nova Hyperion, Warlock Defender… and I didn't even see Mustang Omega go down. But… but somehow… what happened to him is worse. It frightens me._

Aleksis nodded slowly. "Is it because his Rangers died, perhaps? Or because he lost them before he truly got the chance to live?"

_I don't know… some of both, I suppose. I can't help but think what he might have been like had he been given a chance to live. Now… now I'll never know. And I think about the Rossis, and even though I didn't like them… I didn't want them to die so horribly. And I think of how close I came to losing you and Mama and it terrifies me…_

"Cherno…" Aleksis stepped forward and rested a hand on his foot. "Cherno, we are here. You did not lose us… in fact, you brought us back from the brink of death. Focus on that, will you? There is nothing we can do for Mustang or his Rangers, but you still have us. Remember that."

Cherno shuddered slightly, then gradually relaxed. _I will try… it won't be easy, but I will try._

Another voice pressed into Aleksis' mind as Crimson raised his mental "voice" enough for him to hear. _We are all disturbed by what happened. Yes, we disparaged Mustang and its Rangers, but it is still terrible to see any Jaeger lose its partners in battle. And even more disturbing when those Rangers die before their Jaeger gets the chance to truly live. Mustang may never have properly lived, but we will mourn it as much as we mourn our other comrades._

 _Well, sod all this,_ Striker put in, huffing from where he still sat beside Gipsy. _We've been mopin' for days now. It ain't fixed a thing. I say we stop feelin' sorry for a dead Jaeger an' focus on the living ones._

 _How magnanimous of you, Striker,_ Coyote noted acerbically.

 _Oh, hush,_ Striker grumbled.

 _He has a point,_ Gipsy added. _We need to move on from this. I just don't see how._

All five Jaegers exchanged awkward glances, and Aleksis wished he had something useful to say. But before anyone could offer any suggestions, a new mental "voice" boomed through everyone's minds, nearly bowling him over.

_Why all the glum faces, eh? Okay, bad expression, we don't have proper faces… but honestly, I was expecting a bit more of a cheerful welcome, eh?_

Five Conn Pods snapped toward the open doors of the bay, a broad-shouldered silhouette blocking out most of the sunlight streaming in. Cries and gasps filled the air as the newcomer, gunmetal-gray and walking with a shambling limp, ducked inside the Shatterdome and strode forward. Massive blades jutted from its forearms, and its sloped Conn Pod glowed a brilliant turquoise. One digitigrade leg carried its weight easily; the other trembled and buckled with each step, the ankle joint warped out of true.

 _Sorry I'm late,_ Brawler Yukon went on, his mental tone meek and apologetic despite being far deeper and more thunderous than Cherno's. _Twisted my ankle tryin' to shortcut across a ravine. So I hear you're all needin' some help from an experienced Jaeger! I've been out of action for a while, but I can take a fair stab at it, eh?_

* * *

"I wasn't expecting them to hit it off so well," Dr. Lightcap noted, beaming as she looked down from one of the many catwalks that crisscrossed over the Jaeger bay.

"I have to say that this has done wonders for their morale," Tendo replied. "The last battle left them all in low spirits… they needed this."

"They could be a little less noisy about celebratin'," Herc grumbled, but he looked far less grouchy about it than he sounded.

Below the Marshals and scientist, six Jaegers sat in a circle in the center of the bay, filling the air with eager keening and happy crooning as they conversed in their own fashion. Brawler seemed more embarrassed by the attention than anything, waving his hands in the air as if waving away compliments, but at the same time he appeared excited to be in the presence of more of his kind again. Crimson had wriggled his way into a spot right next to the Mark I, and it didn't take much imagination to think that he was pelting Brawler with questions and enthusiastic praise like a fanboy meeting his idol. Coyote sat on his other side, mostly quiet but fussing over him a little as well. The other Jaegers seemed content to take turns "talking" to the first Jaeger, basking in his presence, thrilled to be in the presence of a legend among their kind.

"Did you have any issues getting him here?" asked Tendo.

"We tried to take a route that would do as little property damage as possible," Caitlyn replied. "Though there are a few farmers we'll probably have to reimburse for their crops. And he stumbled in a ravine and damaged his ankle. Other than that… no, no problems. Even the military just hung back and watched without trying to stop us."

Herc snorted. "Not that they coulda done much to stop you, short of launching a missile. An' killin' a Jaeger right now, when they're so popular with the public, woulda been a disaster for 'em."

She smiled at that. "He has some damages that still need to be fixed, but he's still raring to fight. The next time a Kaiju surfaces, he'll be ready."

Tendo nodded. "The current Kaiju attacks aren't fitting any specific pattern, so we can't predict when the next one will come… nor how many Kaiju are in it. But tell Brawler we're welcome for his help. With a gap opening in our ranks, we'll need every Jaeger we can get."

Her smile faded. "There's got to be a way to revive Mustang somehow. Another set of Rangers…"

"There's no Ranger program," Tendo reminded her. "We have no applicant pool to draw from."

"What about the applicants Pentecost rounded up for Gipsy?" asked Herc. "Don't tell me they all dropped off the radar. Maybe a few of 'em would be a good match for Mustang, if he's got any shot at comin' to life."

Tendo opened his mouth to protest, then slowly shut it. "I didn't even think about that. Most of them have gone home, but we should still have their contact information." He made a note on his tablet. "I'll see if I can't get in touch with them… but in the meantime, let's focus on getting Brawler and the others ready for battle. We can't afford to let our guard down, not when we know there's still at least six Kaiju loose in the Pacific."

Caitlyn nodded. "Is there any way to track them?"

"Most of the sensors we put into place are still active," Tendo replied. "If they come within fifty miles of landfall, we'll know."

"When are we gonna stop playing defense an' take the fight to the Precursors?" asked Herc. "We know they got a base here. Let's wipe it out for good an' end this once and for all."

"We have to find the base first," Tendo reminded him. "It's a huge ocean, after all. It could take years before we actually find it…"

* * *

_Darkness… blackness… unbelievable pressure… sounds muffled as if his ears had been packed with cotton… a cold so intense his extremities ached…_

_The drift… he was in the drift again, looking upon the base through Precursor eyes… yet he sensed he was not alone… someone was with him, trying to reach him…_

_Armada tossing its head like an uncooperative horse as tentacle-like restraints curled around its neck and limbs… a host of leathery-winged parasites clambering up its sides, installing themselves on its back… other Kaiju snapping, howling, clawing and biting at their own restraints… one breaking free with a scream of triumph, only for a jolt of electricity to drive it back…_

" _I'm here…"_ _the presence reaching out, as if to comfort… or perhaps seeking comfort of its own? He couldn't tell…_

_A coral framework, like organic scaffolding… a vaguely humanoid form towering over the shell domes of the base… limbs tapered, knees bending backwards, the Conn Pod a smooth half-sphere buried in the chest rather than resting atop the shoulders… forms stirring within the translucent gel that filled that weird cockpit..._

_Shuddering… one limb raising… chittering and screeching applause as the organic Jaeger burst free of its framework, shattering the coral and raising clouds of dust from the sea floor…_

"Newton! Newton!"

_The organic mecha taking a hesitant step forward, thrusting its chest upwards as if howling its triumph to the sea and skies above… to the crest of the mountain that loomed over the base… a mountain that Newt realized he'd seen before in a picture…_

" _I'm here… answer me… please… I can help… if you'd just let me…"_

"Dr. Newton Geizler, wake up!"

"I'm up, I'm up!" Newt howled, flailing awake. Spike was perched on his chest, mandibles tickling at his chin as if trying to lick him awake, and he carefully pushed the louse aside and sat up. He wasn't in the mood for louse "kisses" right now – not when his brain was still trying to disentangle Hermann's voice from whoever-it-was that had infiltrated the drift. A Precursor? No, it couldn't be, why would a Precursor be trying to betray their own kind and help them?

"What the devil were you shouting about?" Hermann demanded, releasing his shoulders. "It sounded like you were being ripped apart."

Newt shook his head and fumbled for his glasses, sliding them on with shaking hands. The last thing he remembered doing was trying to shove Spike away from the parasite carcass he was trying to dissect – it turned out the skin louse's favorite snack was the creatures' wing-membranes, a fact Newt only discovered when Spike had absolutely shredded the first specimen he pulled out of cold storage. He must have passed out soon after… though staying up for three days straight in his excitement over a new specimen to study would do that to a man.

"Newton!"

"All right, all right, you don't have to shout!" Newt pushed himself to his feet, nearly falling over before Hermann reached out to steady him. "Where's the Marshal? We gotta find the Marshal!"

Hermann's scowl faded. "One of _those_ nightmares, then?"

He nodded. "It's the Precursor base… I think I might know where it is!"


	31. Seamount Strike

"You're bloody kidding us," Herc demanded.

"I only wish we were," Hermann replied, shaking his head. "But you know the saying – the best place to hide is right under the enemy's nose. Even the Precursors realize that."

"Still… you'd think there'd have been some kind of sign," Tendo protested. "There are still some natives left on the Hawaiian Islands that refused to evacuate with the rest of the population. They could have seen signs and given us some warning."

"I seriously doubt the Precursors stuck a neon sign over their base," Caitlyn pointed out. "Or let their kaiju out for a run on the islands themselves. They're far from stupid, after all."

Another hasty meeting had been assembled in the dim conference room, this time just the Marshals and scientists of the Shatterdome. A holographic map of a rectangular section of the Pacific Ocean shimmered over the table, a chain of islands highlighted in yellow and one flat-topped undersea mountain glowing ruby-red just a short distance away. A scrawl of green marred the base of the mountain, a smattering of buildings and crudely drawn monsters that Newt kept adding to with a holopen as Hermann went on.

"Koko Guyot is an extinct volcano close to the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, though not close enough to be considered part of the chain proper. During Hawaii's last kaiju attack before the evacuation…"

"Ukupanipo," Newt piped up, not looking up from doodling a few more flyers onto Armada's back. "Category 2, one of the biggest 2s on record, taken down by Eden Assassin and Tactic Ronin."

Hermann made a production of rolling his eyes before continuing. "During the attack of Ukupanipo, an anti-kaiju missile made impact against Koko Guyot's southern slope, leaving a large and distinctive crater impact. It was through this scar on the seamount that Newt was able to identify it… and thus, identify the location of the Precursor base."

Herc shook his head. "It's too easy. They know about the drift. They wouldn't just hand us this info if they weren't up to somethin'."

"It could be," Tendo acknowledged, "but all the same, this is an opportunity we don't dare pass up. We have a shot at taking out the Breach. We need to take it, and soon. That is, if the Jaegers are willing."

"They'll be willin'," Herc replied. "Eliminatin' kaiju's what they were built for, an' they ain't gonna pass it up. But this looks too much like a trap for our Jaegers – do we just let 'em walk right into it?"

"Why not just let the PPDC know?" asked Caitlyn. "Perhaps they can simply drop a bomb on it and save us from risking the Jaegers."

Herc scowled. "Whose side are ya on, Lightcap?"

"Whatever side will save the world, Hansen," she replied, eyes narrowed and steely. "I don't like what the PPDC officials have done any more than you do. But there comes a time when you have to let go of old hatreds and do what's best for the good of humankind and Jaeger-kind. Even if it means siding with the very people who want the Jaegers destroyed."

"I have every intention of telling them what we've found," Tendo replied, ignoring Herc's glower. "And I'm sure they'll respond. Eventually. Once they've finished their bureaucratic dithering and finally decided on a course of action, by which point the Precursors could have launched a more devastating attack or simply picked up and moved their base entirely. That is, if the PPDC even believe us. Visions in the drift aren't exactly compelling evidence to most people, especially those unfamiliar with how the tech works."

Caitlyn shook her head, lips pressed together in a thin line. "I knew governments had gotten corrupt, but I never thought the Defense Corps would reach this point. When I served as a Ranger, they still had the safety of the world as their first priority, not their own pride."

"Things change," Tendo said, and elected to leave it at that. "I propose we act on this information as soon as possible. Seeing as the PPDC has cut us off, I'd say that absolves us from having to answer to them anymore."

Hermann nodded. "The base looks exposed to a direct attack, but I wouldn't be fooled if I were you. I'd wager they have some sort of protection against a direct bombardment. Under normal circumstances I would recommend sending out a submersible scouting craft to investigate things in closer detail, but the odds are we don't have that sort of time."

Tendo shook his head. "The longer we wait, the more time the Precursors have to launch another attack… and the closer their organic Jaeger comes to completion. No… we have to act soon." He clenched his jaw, as if coming to a conclusion he didn't like, then shook his head again and pushed himself to his feet. "Have the Jaegers on full alert, Hansen. We want them ready to move out at a moment's notice as soon as they're fully repaired. Dr. Lightcap, contact as many of Gipsy's old recruits as you can, and start drifting runs to see if we can find a compatible team for Mustang. Hermann, Newt, put together as detailed a map as you can and give it to the Jaegers as soon as possible. I… I need to make a call."

Herc's expression hardened. "I don' like you dealin' with that parasite, Tendo."

"I don't like dealing with him either. But war makes for strange partnerships… and given that we have Hannibal to thank for Striker's return, it's hard to say he's our enemy. And given his past career as a gun-runner, I'd say he's the only person who can get us what we need to finish this job." He nodded to the others. "Let's move out. I don't know how much time we have, but it's safe to say it's not enough."

* * *

 _So this is the enemy,_ Sasha thought, gazing at the tank and the ruined prize floating inside. _The ones who send the kaiju to wipe our world clean. They look nothing like us… I can only wonder if they think at all like us._

Somehow she had expected the masters of the kaiju to look more… human, for lack of a better word. Like the demons of mythology, or perhaps like humanoid kaiju themselves. But the Precursor body Crimson had extracted from Gipsy's body had only a few vague similarities to _Homo sapiens,_ mostly in simply possessing a head and two lower limbs for walking. The rest of its body looked like a strange mix of insect and flower, multi-limbed and with ornate petal-like growths covering its head and body like organic armor. Its flat eyes had gone milky in death, but she imagined that if she looked into them long enough, she could sense an intelligence of sorts, albeit one far removed from anything she knew.

 _To understand your foe is to achieve victory,_ her father had always told her, especially on days she had come home from school bruised and bloody from standing up to the local bully. _Blows will only get you so far. To truly defeat your enemy, you must look him in the eye and learn what drives him. That is the only way to win._

Perhaps his advice worked against a human opponent… but she doubted her father had ever intended her to face down an alien army. How could you even begin to understand an enemy from another world entirely?

"It's rather sad, really."

Sasha didn't turn to address the speaker, eyes still fixed on the body. "What is sad, Dr. Gottlieb?"

"The Precursors." Hermann stepped up beside her, gazing up at the preserved body. "I know their goal is to wipe out humanity, and that is unfortunate…"

 _Understatement of a lifetime,_ Sasha thought, but kept her mouth shut.

"But in a way I pity them as well." He ran one hand through his hair as he spoke. "Their world is dying. They've consumed every natural resource, and they only have another generation, perhaps two, before they die out completely. Our world's their best hope for survival… their only hope."

Sasha felt something in her heart twist at that. After learning the kaiju were not just random monsters from another world but the living weapons of an alien army, she had always assumed it was pure greed and power-lust that drove said alien army on. She hadn't stopped to think that it wasn't simple conquest, but a desperate mission to keep their people alive.

"I want to think that if they had sent an envoy early on, tried to negotiate with our leaders, we could have shared this world," Hermann went on. "Perhaps we could have given them the oceans while we kept the continents – it isn't as if we're doing much with the sea floor, after all. I want to hope humankind is still that decent. I suppose they figured we weren't worth dealing with like an intelligent species, however." He shrugged. "They think of us as animals. Or…"

"Or?"

"Or maybe that's what they tell themselves. That we're just animals, pests to be wiped out before they can settle this world. They may not fully believe it, but they tell themselves it's true. If you de-humanize the enemy, so to speak, it makes it easier to kill them, I suppose."

She raised an eyebrow. "This is a huge reversal for you, Dr. Gottlieb. To sympathize with the enemy."

He shrugged again. "Drifting with a kaiju has given me much to think about, perhaps." He gave a rueful chuckle. "Sorry for unloading my sudden bout of philosophy on you. You have enough to worry about without me adding my flights of fancy to it."

She shook her head. "No, Dr. Gottlieb. Understanding the enemy is the best way to victory. And you have helped me with that. It is perhaps too late for a peaceful resolution to this war… but knowing why the Precursors do what they do helps us to not become complete monsters, I think."

"Ah, good," he replied with a slight smile, relief suffusing his features. "Thank you for your understanding, Mrs. Kaidonovsky. And for allowing me to vent a little." He eyed the dead Precursor a moment longer. "I didn't just come here to chat, however – I'm to let you know that we're about to brief the Jaegers on the Precursor base and what to expect of it. Rangers are invited as well."

"Thank you, Dr. Gottlieb. I will be there shortly."

He nodded and walked stiffly away, leaning on his cane. Spike gave a low growl from a nearby workbench, and Hermann absently slowed down to pat his carapace as he limped by. Sasha smiled a little at the gesture before turning her attention back to the tank.

One of the Precursor's arms had drifted up against the glass, as if trying to touch her through the transparent barrier. She raised her own hand and rested it against the tank, only that layer of glass separating their fingers. Perhaps they weren't so different after all – soldiers striving to protect their kind by any means necessary, even if it meant the extinction of another race. It was only a shame that for one of them to succeed in their mission, the other had to fail.

* * *

The holographic map of the Precursor base glowed blue and amber and red on the floor of the Jaeger bay, a grid-covered display writ large for the Jaegers' benefit. The six active Jaegers crowded around the shimmering holo, watching and listening as Hermann limped from one end of it to the other, pointing out areas of interest. He seemed perfectly at ease delivering a lecture to such massive beings, as if he were simply a professor presenting a lesson to a studious class.

"There are approximately twelve mobile buildings in the base," he stated, pressing a remote that made the dome-shaped structures glow bright green. "We assume they are some sort of storage or production facility, though given their size it's possible each of them could house a Category 4 kaiju, or two Category 2 kaiju if they opted for a tight fit. Their composition appears similar to shell, though closer to the calcified shell of a mollusk than the keratin shell of turtles. We have no physical evidence of this, however, so they could be made of anything."

" _I dunno what half those words you said meant, sorry,"_ Brawler said with a shrug. " _My guess is they all crunch the same, though."_

" _If they really do house kaiju, we'll have to be careful,"_ Crimson added. _"Though seeing as they have kaiju tethered to those frameworks, you'd think they wouldn't bother with housing for them."_

"The frameworks Crimson speaks of look nearly identical to our world's coral growths, though again, it's impossible to be entirely sure," Hermann went on, highlighting the organic scaffolding penning in the kaiju. "They seem to be used for both construction of new kaiju and restraint of existing kaiju. We estimate about fifteen of these total, though only eight of them appeared to be in use. The largest, of course, is holding the organic Jaeger."

Cherno shuddered. _"That thing is an abomination."_ His voice had been altered recently, sounding far higher and younger than his previous deep, thundering tone. It wasn't exactly a voice that befit one of the oldest and most dangerous Jaegers, many thought, but Cherno and his Rangers seemed perfectly happy with it, so no one voiced their complaints too loudly.

" _We all think it's an abomination,"_ Coyote told him. _"I say it's the first thing to go."_

" _We need to think smart about this,"_ Crimson replied. _"I'm sure they know that we know about this Jaeger of theirs by now. It could have abilities we know nothing about."_

" _So we ice it 'fore it gets a chance to use 'em,"_ Striker replied. _"Simple."_

" _I don't think it's gonna be that simple, Striker,"_ Gipsy said balefully. _"Dr. Gottlieb, Marshal Hansen, what do you two suggest we do?"_

Herc stepped forward at that moment. "We ain't plannin' on the six of you risking your lives more'n necessary. So the plan's identical to Operation Pitfall – go in, drop a bomb, get out 'fore it goes off. No heroics, no funny business, just blow the place up an' come home."

"A bomb?" Raleigh repeated. "Where the hell did you guys get a bomb?"

"We haven't gotten it yet," Herc replied. "Marshal Choi says we can't go through the same channels as last time, so he's going through alternate channels to get it. But it should be here soon, if all goes well."

"'Cuz things went SO well last time," Chuck snapped. "What happens when this bomb goes off too early an' kills our Jaegers? Or turns out to be a dud an' leaves 'em all sittin' ducks?"

"You got any other ideas, Chuck?" Herc demanded, eyes narrowed.

Chuck glared, but then turned away, clenching his jaw.

"Didn't think so. An' I know, y'all just wanna charge in an' start punchin' things. Can't say I blame you. But we're aimin' to do this with as few casualties as possible. An' I hate to say it, but this last battle proved that we can't stand up to a huge pack of kaiju, not without heavy firepower. We need th' bomb."

"There's also the matter of the second Breach," Hermann added. "Dr. Geizler and I did not see it near the base, but there's a chance it isn't far away from Koko Guyat. In the event that you get there and find that Breach, the choice is clear – use the bomb on the Breach instead of the base. That will both cut off their escape route and prevent them from sending reinforcements or replacements."

Gipsy nodded slowly. _"Bomb the Breach if it's there, bomb the base if it's not there. Got it."_

Herc nodded. "This ain't somethin' we ask you to do lightly, Jaegers. The first time we did this, the humans were completely in charge… but things are different now. You're all fully autonomous beings now, not just weapons. If any of you think you're not up to this, no one's forcin' you to fight. You're free to back out."

Striker snorted. _"Like hell I'm gonna back out, old man! We're Jaegers. We were created t' fight kaiju. Like we're gonna stop that now!"_

Cherno bobbed in a nod. _"We have always protected humanity. I see no reason for that to change. Not now, when you need us most."_

" _Safe to say none of us are backing out,"_ Coyote added. _"The Jaegers of this Shatterdome – Cherno Alpha, Coyote Tango, Gipsy Danger, Crimson Typhoon, Striker Eureka, and Brawler Yukon – will fight to the end to defend Hong Kong… and the world."_

A chorus of trills, rumbles, and growls backed up her declaration, and Gipsy even raised her hands in her signature fist-to-palm taunt. Herc gave a solemn nod, and though he'd deny it to his grave, he appeared to be blinking back tears.

"Thank you. All of you. This means more to us than you can know." He clenched his jaw, reining in his emotions, before speaking again. "Report to yer hangars for last-minute prep. You move out in an hour."

"One more thing, Marshal."

Herc frowned and turned to face Mako. "What, Ms. Mori?"

She stepped forward, her expression wary but determined as if preparing for an argument. "If the Jaegers go out to fight… the Rangers go with them."

Herc opened his mouth to reply, only to be cut off by Hermann. "That's a ludicrous suggestion. No humans are accompanying the Jaegers to the base."

"We have fought alongside the Jaegers for so long," she retorted. "We have been partners and comrades. Even before they became fully sentient, we fought as one. Why should it change now?"

"That's a noble sentiment, Ms. Mori," Hermann put in, "but that doesn't change the fact that the Jaegers simply don't need human guidance any longer. If anything, humans tagging along on this mission could be a greater hindrance than a help. And the fewer lives we can endanger in this mission, the better."

"So we're just going to endanger Jaeger lives, then?" Hu snapped. "That's cold, man."

"I know y'all are rarin' to fight with your Jaegers," Herc cut in. "Dammit, I know it as well as any of ya. But the Jaegers don't need us anymore. We'd be useless to 'em."

" _Not entirely, Marshal Hansen."_

Herc glanced up at Crimson. "What do you mean?"

" _I mean that I agree with Mako's sentiments,"_ he replied. _"It… feels right… to have my Rangers with me when we face the Precursors. I have missed their guidance and companionship the last two times I've faced the kaiju, and would like to have that on this mission. And perhaps having human pilots is no longer necessary… but it can still be beneficial. There are things we might not see that our Rangers might, and tactics they can suggest that wouldn't occur to us."_

" _Both Mako and Crimson are right,"_ Cherno added. _"I've fought alongside Mama and – I mean, my Rangers for so long. It feels right to have them by my side for this fight. And they are warriors too… there are still ways they can help me."_

Another chorus of noise from the Jaegers, metallic thrums and booms filling the massive chamber until every humans' ears were ringing. Herc finally cut everyone off by raising his hands.

"All right, enough!" he ordered. "I get yer points… an' they ain't bad ones. But as a Ranger myself, one who's seen more action than any of ya save Team Cherno, I gotta say…"

Striker's Conn Pod swiveled to glower at the elder of his Rangers, and Chuck opened his mouth to protest as well… but before either of them could make so much as a squeak, Herc finished his sentence.

"…that I've been dyin' for a chance to go back into battle. If Marshal Choi approves this, I do."

Striker boomed in his version of a triumphant laugh. _"Knew you couldn't say no, old man!"_

"Don't call me that, ya overgrown Rock-Em-Sock-Em," Herc grumped. "We still gotta get Tendo's approval on this, an' he could very well veto this."

"If he has a modicum of sense he will!" Hermann protested. "This is ridiculous!"

"We're Rangers," Raleigh reminded him, grinning broadly. "We're used to pulling off the ridiculous on a daily basis."

"Enough jawin'," Herc cut in. "All Rangers get suited up, all Jaegers get your weapons prepped an' ready. The _Ao Kuang_ moves out soon as Marshal Choi comes back with our special delivery, an' anyone not ready by then gets left behind! No exceptions!"

* * *

"NEURAL HANDSHAKE FAILED. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY AGAIN?"

Dr. Lightcap sighed deeply and shook her head. "No… not today." She blinked, as if just realizing the computer's question had been rhetorical and wouldn't respond to her answer. "Bishop, shut down power to Mustang's Conn Pod. Deckerd, Lennox, step out and unsuit. We'll try again later."

"We almost had it that time!" Lennox protested.

"Uh, maybe a xenobiologist's word isn't worth a whole lot here," Newt put in, "but I'm gonna hazard a guess that if it didn't work the first ten times, an eleventh isn't gonna do a whole lotta good."

"You shut up, kaiju-lover!" Lennox retorted.

"Shut your mouth, Tyler!" Deckerd barked at his partner. "Have a lil' respect!"

Dr. Lightcap sighed again and muted the microphone before pulling off her headset. "So much for finding a proper match for Mustang before moving out. Seven teams and not one of them has managed a handshake. Deckerd and Lennox came closest, but… if you want my honest opinion, they're not much better than the Rossis."

Newt wanted to say something to ease the situation, but everything he could think of to say – from "sorry, that sucks" to "better luck next time" – seemed both inadequate and really disrespectful. And given that he was talking to Dr. Freaking Lightcap herself, he didn't want to make too much of a fool of himself. Sure, Jaegers weren't exactly his area of expertise, but he was still standing in the presence of one of the key figures in the Kaiju War. She deserved some respect.

Under normal circumstances, Newt had no reason to be in the LOCCENT. He was a biologist, not a technician, and anything dealing with the Jaegers was way outside his field of expertise. But the news that Dr. Lightcap would be screening new candidates for the Mark VI had him burning with curiosity, and he'd managed to weasel his way into the half-repaired control center by claiming he was looking for flying-parasite tissue samples from the battle. He knew that any samples left would have decayed beyond salvaging by this point, and he was fairly certain Lightcap knew that too, but evidently she'd figured his presence wouldn't be too distracting.

"What happens to Mustang now?" he asked. "Does it just sit here?"

"For the moment," Lightcap replied. "We're moving out to make a strike against the Precursors very soon, and Brawler's asked that I accompany him. After being out of action so long… how can I say no to another chance?" She smiled wanly. "I'd hoped Mustang could accompany us, but it's not to be."

"Oh… that's depressing." He immediately wanted to kick himself for saying that. To his relief, though, Lightcap didn't seem to take offense.

"We're not giving up on Mustang yet. The perfect set of Rangers is out there. And if… no, when we come back from this fight, we'll keep on trying. Mustang deserves to live as much as the other Jaegers, and I'll fight for its right to live with everything I have."

"Oh good." He chuckled. "I know I gotta reputation for being a kaiju groupie here, but I do like the Jaegers. It's good that all of them are getting the chance they deserve, I think."

Lightcap's smile widened a touch, looking genuinely happy instead of resigned. "Thanks, Dr. Geizler."

"Just Newt. Only my mom and Hermann call me Doctor."

"All right then, Newt." She chuckled. "You're okay, Newt. For a kaiju groupie."

"Uh… thanks. You too." _Wait, wait, what? Did I actually just say that? No, no, no, stupid, stupid! A girl finally looks at you like you're not a weirdo and you stick your foot in your mouth!_

Lightcap giggled, and he felt his face flame bright red. He desperately tried for some damage control. "Sorry… I'm a lot better with kaiju specimens than I am with girls. The last one I tried to be friendly with tried to force me to drift with a kaiju brain."

"Rest assured, Newt, I'd never make you drift with a kaiju brain. Unless you hurt Brawler's feelings, maybe." She giggled again. "I have to suit up and go join Brawler. You take care of yourself, Newt."

"Yeah… good luck to you guys. We're rootin' for you back at the 'Dome, all right?"

She nodded and strode out.

Newt made a pretense of looking around the LOCCENT a little longer, sidestepping consoles still in pieces from the last attack and trying not to get in the techs' way. But finally he gave up and turned to leave himself. Soon this place would be hopping with techs monitoring the battle and the living Jaegers, and Mustang would be shunted to the sidelines. Shame. He was sort of hoping he'd get to watch another Jaeger coming to life firsthand. And hopefully with less collateral damage than Cherno and Brawler's awakenings.

As he stepped out of the LOCCENT's lift, he couldn't help a glance at Mustang's Conn Pod, sitting at the Jaeger's feet like a doffed helmet. The glass of the cockpit was still shattered, though the interior had at least been scrubbed clean of the unfortunate Rossis' remains. Not that he expected otherwise – no use making new potential Rangers squeamish. Plus, even as disliked as the Rossis had been, they were still Rangers, and that deserved some respect.

He knew he should clear out before things got truly busy, but he couldn't help but linger a bit. There was something heartbreaking about seeing the black Jaeger so still and alone, a forlorn sentinel amid the seething activity of the Jaeger bay. Dr. Lightcap insisted she hadn't abandoned Mustang, but as far as Newt could see, the rest of the Shatterdome certainly had… and that saddened him.

 _Nothing you can do about it,_ he told himself. _You're a biologist, remember? It's not like you can wave your fingers and make it all better. Besides, Hermann's the brains when it comes to Jaeger programming…_

He stopped short, realization sinking in. He might not know how to help Mustang… but Hermann had programmed the first Jaegers, and his protégé had spearheaded the Mark VI project. Except for The Tech Who Must Not Be Named, he knew more about Mustang than anyone else in the Shatterdome. And even better, he'd helped coax Brawler back to life… so why not Mustang?

The more he thought on the idea, the more excited he grew. The LOCCENT might be tied up with the upcoming battle, but didn't they still have his homebrew neural bridge? And even better… he and Hermann had drifted before. Granted, it was with a kaiju and not a Jaeger, but still…

Mustang towered over him, a black-and-red-armored statue. Newt grinned and waved up at the Jaeger as cheerily as if it were one of the living mecha, then took off running, touching his earpiece as he hurried for the labs.

"Hermann! Hermann, I know you're there, pick up, dammit!"

"For God's sakes, Newton, what is it this time?"

"I've got a fantastic idea!"

"If you think it's fantastic, it's got to be lunacy. I won't have you wasting my time with-"

"Fine, if you don't want one more Jaeger to help with the battle, don't listen to me," Newt shot back, though he wore a huge grin as he spoke. "I'll just hang up and leave you alone, all right?"

Silence. Then a reply: "Keep talking."

Newt pumped his fist in a silent whoop before laying out his plan. Yes, it might be lunacy… but his lunatic plans had a pretty good track record so far, right?


	32. The Otherworld Jaeger

_We're here._

Cherno's gentle nudge shook Aleksis out of his thoughts, and he focused his eyes to take in the familiar, welcome sight of the Jaeger's Conn Pod. Despite the enormity of what they were about to do, there was something comforting about being here, nestled in the heart of the Jaeger that was partnered to them in mind and soul. Whatever happened today, for good or for ill, they would face it together… and they would live or die together as fate saw fit.

 _Don't think like that, Papa,_ said Cherno. _We're going to get out of here alive. I will make sure of that._

"I am in agreement with Cherno," Sasha added. "Now is not the time for morbid thoughts, love."

"Yes," he replied quietly. "But there is always the possibility…"

"Every time we go into battle, we face the chance of Death snatching us away," Sasha finished for him. "All Rangers know that. But it is a chance, not an inevitability. We can still hope for the best."

The deck of the _Ao Kuang_ had not been designed with titanic mecha in mind, and so groaned under the weight of the six Jaegers as if threatening to buckle at any moment. The captain had assured them that his unlikely passengers wouldn't exceed the ship's capacity, but all the same none of the Jaegers moved more than they absolutely had do, and Rangers and crew alike fretted at every creak and protest from the _Ao Kuang._ Aleksis doubted that the voyage would be the most nerve-wracking aspect of this mission, but it certainly wasn't the most relaxing part of it either.

 _The captain says we're about two miles out from the seamount,_ Cherno told him. _He'll wait for us at the islands if the natives allow it. If not, he'll try to keep the ship close by._

Aleksis nodded. Several of the more populous island nations and provinces – Hawaii, Guam, Tahiti, much of Micronesia – had evacuated in response to the kaiju attacks, leaving only the most stubborn and tenacious natives and squatters behind. Hawaii in particular had been rendered a chain of ghost towns, its tourist areas falling into rot and ruin, the lush forests slowly but surely retaking the islands as their own. Anthropologists and biologists hailed the abandonment of the islands as the best thing to have happened to the archipelago, as it allowed the Hawaiian islanders a chance to reclaim their rightful land and the wildlife a chance to recover from humankind's interference.

Probably the one and only positive result of the kaiju invasion, Aleksis thought darkly. And if the Precursors had their way and eliminated humanity… who knew if the islands would get the opportunity to enjoy their costly victory?

"We're ready," Sasha told him. "What about you?"

_I'm ready too. We missed Operation Pitfall… but we'll make up for it today, won't we?_

A surge of pride filled Aleksis' chest. "That's our boy."

 _Let's get this party started, blokes,_ said Striker, making a show of cracking his knuckles. _We still got our lil' housewarmin' gift?_

 _Right here,_ Coyote replied, jerking a thumb over one shoulder.

A shudder passed through Gipsy's frame, making her armor rattle. _I don't like the thought of you carrying that, Coyote. I told you I'd take the payload._

 _Better me than you._ Her Conn Pod swiveled around to gaze at every Jaeger. _We all know I am the expendable one here._

 _No,_ Crimson protested, resting his two right hands on her arm. _Don't say that about yourself. You are one of the greatest Mark Is in history! Um, no offense…_

 _None taken,_ Brawler assured him.

 _You're sweet,_ Coyote told Crimson, and the red Jaeger ducked his Conn Pod as if blushing. _But it is simply the truth. I am old. I am outdated. And unlike Cherno and Brawler, I have no Rangers left. I have no one to leave behind. It is right that I carry the payload._

Mako's voice chimed in over the radio. "You are not expendable, Coyote. You are a Jaeger… and you are my family. That makes you valuable beyond measure. You are brave to carry the bomb… but please, be careful as well. I… I don't want to lose you like I lost Pentecost."

Coyote rumbled softly. _For you, Mako, I will be careful. But if worst comes to worst… do not kill yourselves trying to save me._

 _Aw, enough of the melodrama,_ Brawler huffed. _And enough of the chatter, eh? Let's do this if we're gonna do it. The Precursors won't wait around forever for us to make up our minds and get down there._

Aleksis nodded, and he flexed his arms slightly against the controls of Cherno's Conn Pod. Said controls weren't necessary anymore, given that their Jaeger could move on his own, but somehow it felt right to be here again, strapped in and connected to Cherno in the deepest way possible. It was as if a part of him had been cut away, and only just now been restored.

_How's your leg, Papa?_

"It has been worse," he replied. No use lying to Cherno – he could feel the twinges of pain in the limb and would know if Aleksis tried to bluff. "It should not hamper us in a fight."

Cherno paused, and Aleksis could feel that he wanted to fuss a little more over the old war wound. But he dismissed it. _Ready?_

"Ready," he and Sasha said at the same time.

 _We're ready here,_ Crimson added.

 _Ready to go!_ Gipsy chimed in.

 _Let's do this,_ Striker growled.

 _Ready as we'll ever be,_ Brawler noted.

Coyote said nothing, just gave a sharp nod.

"Try to stagger your departures," Tendo advised over the radio. "If all of you go overboard at the same time, it could swamp the ship."

"Lead the way, Coyote," Raleigh offered. "We'll follow you."

She nodded again, and the _Ao Kuang_ rocked drunkenly as she leaped over the side. Her impact against the surface of the ocean sent salt water falling in a sudden rain over the deck, splashing the rest of the Jaegers and scattering the crew members. Gipsy waited until the ship had mostly settled before going after Coyote, followed by Striker.

The joints in Cherno's legs groaned as he tensed to spring, and for a moment the three of them gathered themselves, bracing for whatever was to come beneath the ocean. Then he leaped, weightless for a moment that seemed an eternity… and the chill waters of the Pacific closed over him.

* * *

"All six Jaegers have touched bottom," Bishop reported. "Six kilometers from the base and closing in."

Tendo nodded in response. "Minimize the map and bring up visual from the lead Jaeger."

The technician nodded and touched a control. "Visual feed from Coyote Tango is a go."

The LOCCENT's main screen flickered, and the map of the sea floor shrank to a corner of the screen, just large enough to still be able to make out the individual amber dots of the moving Jaegers. The rest of the screen was an eerie landscape of murky blue-black water and jutting rock, barely illuminated by the Jaeger's onboard lights. The view seemed to rise and fall in a slow, steady rhythm as Coyote strode forward, almost like the view from a boat.

"God, you could get motion sickness watching this," Hannibal muttered. "You guys too cheap to spring for a steady cam or somethin'?"

Bishop flashed Tendo a look that plainly said _if you can't chase him off can you at least shut him up?_ Tendo just shrugged and spread his hands helplessly. Part of Hannibal's price for the nuclear warhead that was central to this plan was that he be present to watch it go off. Not that Tendo could really fault him for that – indeed, if the self-proclaimed kaiju-market king wanted to ensure that the weaponry he sold was being used for its intended purpose, that put him one step ahead of most world governments. But it was still annoying, knowing they had to keep a jackal in the Shatterdome during the most important battle since Operation Pitfall.

"So how long have you jokers been holding out on us anyhow?" Hannibal went on, pulling a cigar from his pocket and using his knife to slice off the tip. "Seems to me people should have known earlier your Jaegers were alive, huh?"

"The Rangers felt that telling their secret would have them branded as mentally unstable," Tendo replied as evenly as he could. "After that, we kept quiet because we weren't sure how the PPDC, the governments, or the general public would react. We're lucky most of the world accepted them with open arms… but it's entirely possible they would have panicked and called for their destruction. We couldn't risk that."

Hannibal snorted. "But lettin' them melt them down for the Wall or scavenge their corpses for parts was a-OK, right?" He lit the cigar with an ivory-and-gold lighter. "At least the corpses I loot for profit aren't gonna be missed."

Tendo drew in breath for a reply, then let it out slowly, letting his retort go unsaid. Hannibal was just trying to bait him into an argument. He couldn't let that happen.

"We've got communication from Gipsy Danger!" another tech announced, enlarging his screen to let the text scroll past.

WE SEE IT she announced. THE BASE IS JUST OVER THIS NEXT RISE. NO BREACH THAT I CAN SEE, THOUGH.

Tendo's heart sank slightly at that. So much for killing two birds with one stone.

"Give us a clear visual, Coyote," he told her. "What do you see?"

In response the main screen stilled as Coyote came to a halt and settled her gaze on the Precursor base. Before they had only seen it as a crudely-drawn map or a brilliantly colored holographic projection, but the sight of it now, the calcified gray-green domes of the shell-buildings and the twisted coral frameworks that each caged the slumped form of a Kaiju, seemed almost anticlimactic. Some part of him, the inner eight-year-old boy that had never quite grown up, still expected lurid bright colors and flashing lights and… well, something more, anyhow.

Without thinking he locked his gaze on the narrow framework that, according to Hermann, housed the Precursor Jaeger. It was too far way to make out the details, but he could see no movement. Inactive, at least for the moment… that was one small comfort.

"Are they dead or somethin'?" demanded Chuck over the radio. "None of 'em are even twitchin'."

IT'S LIKE THE FIGHT AT THE HARBOR, Cherno added, his words appearing in both Russian and English on the readout. IT'S TOO QUIET… ANOTHER TRAP, MAYBE?

"Could be," Herc replied, "but we've come this far. We can't wuss out now. Let's get a lil' closer."

Coyote took a few more steps… and jerked to a halt as something flickered at the edge of her vision. Her text appeared on the screen, dual lines of English and Japanese.

KAIJU. CATEGORY 3 AT LEAST. COMING IN FAST.

"We see it," Tendo replied, just as the sleek, blue-veined form swept back into view. "Staghead, Category 4, special attacks unknown at this time. Does it appear to be approaching?"

NO. PATROLLING THE BORDERS. THEIR WATCHDOG, IT APPEARS.

"We're going to assume it's seen you already and has sounded an alarm of some kind," Tendo replied. "Approach with caution."

For almost two full minutes, the LOCCENT simmered with barely restrained tension, watching Coyote soldier forward. The base slid ever closer, until Tendo could make out the individual kaiju contained in their coral cages, eyes dim, bodies pulsing with coruscating blue luminescence. The mock Jaeger hung lifeless in its own organic scaffolding, and there was no sign of movement from the shell buildings. Even Staghead, the sole source of movement, just paced restlessly like a hound on a chain, prong-horned head weaving back and forth as if itching to strike.

IF THEY'RE JUST GONNA STAND THERE, LET'S GET ON WITH IT, Striker put in, and though the text was bland enough, Tendo could just imagine the Mark V was shifting restlessly from foot to foot.

"Proceed," he ordered, "but approach with caution. We don't know if or when-"

And it was at that moment that Armada emerged from behind the largest of the domes, its ululating bellow distorted and weirdly resonant beneath the water. Coyote's view of the base jittered from side to side as she staggered back, and even in the LOCCENT the techs recoiled from the force of its howl.

"Look at the size of that thing," Hannibal marveled, and if Tendo wasn't mistaken he could hear the greed dripping from the man's voice. No doubt he was calculating just how much profit he could squeeze out of every ton of flesh and bone and hide should they manage to drag Armada to shore.

Bishop swore long and imaginatively, then shook her head briskly and recomposed herself. "Armada, Cateogry 5, carries flying parasites that can attack from a distance. Proceed with caution."

NO SHIT, SHERLOCK came Striker's retort.

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE, YOUNGLING Brawler shot back.

SHE STARTED IT.

"Now is NOT the time for this!" Sasha barked. "Striker, Gipsy, you have the best artillery among the Jaegers. Can you keep it back while Coyote proceeds?"

WE'LL DO OUR BEST, Gipsy replied. WHAT ABOUT STAGHEAD?

"We'll take it," Jin piped up. "It won't get away from us a second time."

By this time Coyote had steadied, giving the LOCCENT a good look at Armada and the base. The massive kaiju's back bore huge bare patches where its parasites had taken off and failed to return, and that gave Tendo a scrap of hope. The fewer individual monsters the Jaegers had to worry about, the better. But his hope faltered as an ominous crackling filled the air, and the nearest caged kaiju – Knifehead 2.0 – wrenched free of its coral restraints, eyes flicking open and shark-like maw splitting to reveal a blue-tinged throat and rows of wickedly sharp teeth.

"They're all loose!" Raleigh called out. "That coral stuff's disintegrating – they're all waking up!"

"Defensive positions!" Tendo shouted. "Striker, Gipsy, concentrate all your firepower on Armada. Cherno, Crimson, Brawler, keep the rest of the kaiju away from Coyote. Coyote, find a safe place to drop the payload."

Easier said than done – no sooner were the words out of his throat than the image onscreen jolted with a brutal impact. Mutavore's hideous face filled the screen, hatchet-shaped jaws open in a feral snarl, multiple sets of eyes rolling from their sockets set in the creature's lower jaw. All kaiju looked like they had been assembled by some deranged god with more imagination than sense, but even by these monsters' standards Mutavore was bizarre and horrible to look upon.

Apparently Coyote thought the same. GET OUT OF MY WAY! she growled, and Mutavore rocked to the side as she punched him in the jaw. The beast gave a reverberating howl and struck back, claws raking down Coyote's front, peeling away paint and metal in long ribbons that glinted in the artificial lights like sparks.

"I'm gonna be sick if you don't turn this off," snapped Hannibal.

"Switch visual feed to Striker!" Tendo ordered. Hannibal's comfort was not his first priority, but at the moment Coyote's optical sensors were next to useless.

The image flicked to another perspective about a hundred meters back. Coyote was exchanging blows with Mutavore, both Jaeger and kaiju snarling in rage, while Crimson had Staghead by the horns and was trying to grapple it to the ground like a steer wrestler. Cherno's fists crackled with energy as he stared down Scunner and Razorback in a tense standoff, while Brawler had both arms wrapped around Knifehead and was doing his best to crush it to death. Gipsy stood on Striker's right, plasma cannon armed and raised, and even as they watched she unleashed a torrent of energy at the looming Armada, catching the beast in the throat.

Another warbling howl, and Armada arched its back in a feline gesture, sending the parasites clinging there airborne… or water-borne, as the case might be. They hovered around their host like a cloud of flies, milling confusedly, until a second bellow sent them scattering in all directions.

"Bloody hell," Chuck murmured.

I GOT THIS, Striker replied.

"You ain't got this!" Herc snapped. "Don't even try it!"

IF I DON'T TRY IT, WE GET RIPPED TO SHREDS BY THOSE THINGS.

"Your missiles are meant for big targets," Herc retorted. "Firin' it on those things'll be like tryin' to shoot down a pigeon with a bazooka."

THEN WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST, OLD MAN?

"Don't call me that, for starters!"

A metallic howl interrupted the argument, and Striker's Conn Pod jerked to the side in time to see Crimson flailing, limbs jerking in violent spasms. His entire chassis was illuminated with an intense blue light, light that streamed from a point just over Staghead's skull. Lightning arced between the prongs of its antlers, coalescing in a flickering sphere just over its head before pouring out into the red Jaeger.

CRIMSON! That was Cherno, staring in horror… and his moment of hesitation cost him dearly, as Scunner charged and knocked him over.

"Lost Crimson Typhoon!" Bishop barked, just as the light flickered out, leaving the Jaeger to list backwards with terrible slowness. "All systems down! Staghead seems to have some kind of EMP attack, though more focused than Leatherback's."

"He's still with us!" Hu shouted, voice thick with relief. "He's alive, just unconscious. We're with him, we'll keep him stable."

"You've got a hull breach!" Bishop protested. "Get out of there now! Your escape pods should still be functional!"

"We're not leaving him!" Cheung shot back.

Gipsy let out a terrible keen as the last coral framework collapsed with a low rumble. Striker's Conn Pod snapped around to take in the sight of a tall, vaguely humanoid shape emerging from the cloud of debris, its gait unhurried and deliberate. Digitigrade legs ended in splayed feet that resembled cloven hooves, and two pairs of spindly arms hung at its sides. Sweeping plates of smooth armor gleamed with a peculiar iridescence like mother-of-pearl, lending it an eerie, vicious beauty. In a strange mirroring of Mustang Omega, it lacked any kind of head or Conn Pod… but a transparent cockpit jutted from its chest, and inside one could just barely make out the insectoid forms of Precursors embedded in a translucent blue gel, limbs wrapped in tentacle-like growths.

"The Precursor Jaeger," Tendo breathed.

Hannibal's eyes flashed, and for the first time in Tendo's memory, the man looked shocked… and even a little afraid. "You're in a world of trouble, Choi."

* * *

Had those in the LOCCENT not been so mesmerized by the battle unfolding on the screen – and by the appearance of the otherworldly Jaeger – they might have noticed that Mustang Omega's Conn Pod had been reactivated. For the sake of the Shatterdome's resident scientists, perhaps it was for the best that their little misadventure was going ignored.

"You could not have picked a worse time for this had you tried," Hermann grumbled as he wrestled his legs into the harness.

"Correction: I couldn't have picked a better time for this had I tried," Newt corrected, adjusting the Pons headset on his scalp. "Because not only-" He paused to snap the last of the harness straps in place. "Not only is everyone in charge distracted by the fight, but we get to send one last Jaeger out as backup. Mustang Omega'll be the cavalry charging in to save the day!"

Hermann rolled his eyes. "You have NOT thought this all the way through, Newton! For one thing, IF this even works, there's no way Mustang can make it to the seamount in time!"

"This time I've thought it all the way through!" Newt retorted. "I bribed some of the guys who fly the Jumphawks. They're waiting outside, and once Mustang gets out of the Shatterdome, they'll pick him up and fly him out. Simple, right?"

Hermann rolled his eyes a second time. "And for another thing – how can you be sure this will even work? How many sets of Rangers has Mustang gone through again? For all we know, drifting with a kaiju just means it will automatically reject us."

"If you're so sure this is gonna fail, why are you even here?" Newt pointed out. "Come on, some part of you believes this'll work, right?"

Hermann clamped his jaw, which Newt took to mean he was right and Hermann just didn't want to admit it. He just grinned and finished buckling himself in, then removed the activation switch from his belt.

Before the attack that had killed its Rangers, Mustang's Conn Pod had been a sleek, streamlined work of art, packed with state-of-the-art technology and gleaming with newness. Now it was a hodgepodge of crisscrossed wires and jury-rigged connections, and a heap of mismatched equipment that made up Newt's homebrew neural bridge filled up the back. The broken glass of the Conn Pod still hadn't been repaired, so the two of them had rigged a "redneck" repair by stretching a length of clear plastic over the broken areas. It was crude and slapdash, but it would hold the projections needed to activate the readouts well enough.

"Ready?" Newt asked.

"No," Hermann replied, "but if we wait until I'm ready, we'll be waiting for a very long time. Let's get this over with."

Newt nodded. "Ready back there?"

Spike chirred in response. The louse had his own little nook amid the jumble of equipment, while Max and Bruno sat on the floor just beneath him, identical panting grins on their squashed-looking faces.

"Let's own this bad boy, then." Newt held up the switch. "If this works, Hermann, we'll be heroes."

"And if this doesn't work, we could very well be vegetables."

"Your optimism is reassuring, dude." And he pressed the button.

_Rush of memory… tossing back a shot of vodka during a recording session with the Black Velvet Rabbits… gentle hands resting a cool cloth on his forehead as he burned with a terrible fever… the electric-blue tendrils of Otachi's tongue lashing out at him, stinking with spit and acid… chalk squeaking as an equation came together on the chalkboard, almost faster than he could write it… alarms blaring, voices shouting, but it was difficult to tell if those sounds came from the past or the present…_

_New memories… but dark and silent ones, coming from a mind that had been blind and deaf to the world since birth… confusion and fear and wonder blended together as awareness came for the first time… a tentative affection towards those that had given them life… then pain like a knife at the rejection, the denial, the immediate loss of those that should have been close... the hollow ache of loneliness…_

_Newt's heart ached in response, and he opened his mouth to respond… but to his utter shock, it was Hermann who spoke first._

" _You're not alone, little one." His voice was gentle, as if speaking to a small child or a frightened animal, and warmer than Newt had ever heard it before. "We're here. You're no longer alone…"_

 _Burst of confusion, then a chill flood of distrust. The word came out slowly, almost painfully._ W… h… o?

" _Hermann Gottlieb." Silence… then the pointed clearing of a throat._

" _Oh! Uh… Newt. Newton Geizler, but call me Newt."_

N… Newt… Her… Hermann… _Mustang's fledgling consciousness chewed over the words awhile, like a child tasting a new food and trying to decide how well he liked it._ But… who?

_Newt had to puzzle over that one a moment. What were they to Mustang anyhow? They hadn't exactly brought him to life, so they weren't his parents… and he was so young mentally that it seemed strange calling him brother…_

" _Uncles," he decided. "We're your uncles."_

 _Again Mustang mulled over the word, pondering it… then accepting it._ Are… you… going to… yell? Like… like the others?

" _What? Aw no, Mustang, we're not gonna yell at you. We're just here to help you, all right? We're gonna help you move around and grow stronger, until one day you can move all by yourself! How does that sound?"_

_Mustang's presence flitted at the edges of their minds like a skittish cat, warily considering them._

" _We want to be your Rangers," Hermann told him. "Your family… your uncles, as Newt said. If you will have us, that is."_

 _Warmth bloomed in Newt's chest, and though the Conn Pod was silent around them, they could vaguely hear Mustang's chassis thrumming to life behind them. New emotions cascaded through the drift – joy, relief, a growing affection for these strange but kind men who had come into his Conn Pod, who had offered him companionship and respect where others had only offered rejection and derision._ My Rangers… my uncles…

"Dr. Geizler! Dr. Gottlieb! Respond now!"

Newt shook his head, and he found himself back in his own body… though the connection with Mustang still resonated through his mind. "We're here!"

"Good!" Tendo replied, voice angrier than Newt had ever heard him. "Now explain just what the hell you're doing in there!"

Before Newt could open his mouth to defend himself, Mustang thrummed again. Joy was now replaced with firm determination, the desire to protect his newfound family. Newt hurriedly assured him that Tendo meant them no harm and there was no need to storm the LOCCENT, and the black Jaeger eased back.

"You did it," Tendo murmured. "Mustang's…"

"Mustang Omega reports for duty," Hermann replied. "He is alive, albeit not to the same level of sentience as the others yet. We shall work with him diligently once today is over… but for now, we have a battle to join."

"Neither of you is a Ranger!" Bishop squawked. "You're not trained for battle! And there's still tests to run… we don't know if he'll respond correctly…"

"We'll work out the bugs as we go!" Newt replied, and he raised his right arm. Hermann mirrored the move, and judging from the gasps and exclamations from the LOCCENT Mustang had moved in tandem with the two of them. The readouts flared with activity, measuring fuel reserves, system operability, fluctuations in the drift… and most prominently a Mustang's-eye view of the Shatterdome, clear and strong. They had a clear path to the doors, it looked like… if they could just get Mustang's legs moving…

One sleek black-and-red foot rose in the air, coming down with impossible grace for a being his size. Mustang stepped carefully over the Conn Pod at his feet and made for the doors, workers scattering out of his path, his engines humming with new life. It wasn't until he had stepped outside, the Jumphawks swooping down to carry him, that Tendo spoke again.

"You two are insane."

"Then we fit right in with the rest of the Shatterdome," Hermann retorted.

"Point. We'll discuss this later. For now… make sure Mustang gets safely to the seamount. And good luck to you two… you're going to need it for your first battle."


	33. Another Breach

Striker could think of a multitude of things to say regarding their situation at the moment, all of them some degree of profane and more than one using Lightcap's name in some manner that would turn her bright red. He kept them to himself, though, and focused on launching missile after missile at the massive bulk of Armada. A long list of expletives might make him feel better in the short term, but would do little against the kaiju unless they suddenly developed a crippling weakness to profanity.

Armada howled again as five of the six missiles he'd launched so far met their marks, blasting blue-tinged craters out of its gray flesh. It shook itself like a dog and leveled a glare at Striker, lashing all three of its tails in fury.

"I think that just pissed it off," Chuck noted.

 _Ya think?_ Striker retorted. _Gipsy, keep firin'!_

 _I'm running out of power!_ she protested. _I can't keep this up much longer!_

 _Keep it up long as you can!_ Striker ordered. _The more we can weaken this sonofabitch, the better!_

Gipsy swatted at a cluster of fliers that battered at her Conn Pod like persistent gnats, then fired another blue-white blast at Armada. The jolt of plasma impacted against its throat sac, sending a cloud of turquoise-colored ichor roiling through the water and leaving the loose hide in hanging tatters. The massive kaiju howled in agony… though was it Striker's imagination or was said howl weaker than before?

_Think we're makin' progress._

"Don't drop your guard now, Striker," Herc advised. "Keep it up! Finish this monster!"

"We're outta missiles!" Chuck shouted.

"We got one more in reserve!" Herc corrected. "Aim carefully, Striker, you won't get another chance at-"

Striker roared in pain as sharp plates of bone tore into his side. Razorback had left Scunner to its own devices and now struck at the Mark V, its armored tail slashing through the water like a bladed whip, and Striker barely sidestepped another attack. His final shot went wide, missing Armada by a good twenty feet and impacting into one of the domes, shattering the shell as if it were an egg.

 _Oh, you bloody little…_ Striker cut loose with another string of venomous profanity, not caring that Razorback couldn't hear a word, and let his arm blades slide out. Razorback barely had a moment to twitch in surprise before the Australian Jaeger was atop it.

* * *

Sasha shook with the force of the rage and hatred that poured through the drift. It swamped all her senses, filming her vision red and searing every nerve ending in her body. She had only ever felt Cherno so angry before a few times… when Katschei had felled Eden Assassin, when Gorynych had crushed Nova Hyperion's Conn Pod, when Otachi had struck down Crimson Typhoon at the first battle of the harbor…

 _Staghead!_ Cherno howled, oblivious to the fact that the antlered kaiju couldn't hear him. _I'm going to make you pay for what you've done! I'll tear you apart!_

"Cherno!" Sasha called out as their Jaeger pushed himself to his feet. "Calm down! Crimson's alive!"

 _That doesn't change the fact that Staghead's hurt him!_ Cherno snarled. His fists clenched, the Tesla coils crackling with energy.

"Cherno, watch out!" Aleksis bellowed.

The rage in the drift faltered, and Cherno stumbled to the side... an instant too late, as Scunner's horn clipped his shoulder and sent him spinning again. He dug his foot spikes into the sea floor, sending up clouds of silt as he struggled to keep his balance. By the time he was sure of his footing, his anger had drained away and Scunner had whirled for another attack.

This time, however, Cherno was ready, and met Scunner's charge with a fist to the skull. The impact jolted up his arm – and both Sasha and Aleksis gripped their arms as they felt his pain as their own – but Scunner staggered back, stunned at the blow and shaking its head furiously.

 _Come at me, ugly,_ Cherno thought, crouching and pounding his fists together.

"Easy," Sasha urged. "You get angry or arrogant, and you make mistakes. We cannot afford mistakes… not today."

Cherno sent back a pulse of agreement, but he didn't break his stance. Scunner pawed the sea floor like a bull, then gave a roar and barreled forward again… only for another punch from Cherno to send it reeling. It kept to its feet and struck again, trying to hook one horn under the Mark I's chest armor, and only another fist to the skull kept it back.

Scunner bellowed and lunged one more time, this time striking with teeth instead of horns. Powerful jaws clamped down on Cherno's arm, and double sets of claws raked at his armor. Cherno's engines roared in pained fury, and he slammed his free fist down on Scunner's head over and over, cracking one horn and completely obliterating eye. The kaiju hung on like a bulldog, however, and seemed oblivious to its own damages.

 _Fall,_ Cherno growled, lashing out again and again. _Why won't you fall?_

* * *

Gipsy keened worriedly as a final, weak spurt of plasma hit Armada's shoulder. _Plasma cannon's out of power._

"It's okay, girl," Raleigh told her. "You did good. It looks weaker already." He was exaggerating there – Armada wasn't even limping despite the holes and burns riddling its hide – but he wanted to give Gipsy some satisfaction that her efforts weren't in vain.

 _What do I do now?_ Her mental voice was far softer and smaller than any voice coming from a titanic mecha should be… and it trembled with fear.

"We close in," Mako replied. "Get as close as you can. We killed Slattern up close… we do the same with Armada."

 _Okay._ Gipsy didn't sound at all sure of that strategy, but she nodded anyhow and took a step forward, one chain-sword sliding out of its sheath. Armada retaliated by draping its body over the damaged dome and snapping at her, and she backpedaled in a hurry.

"We need a distraction," Raleigh realized. "Striker, can you give us a hand?"

I'M BUGGIN' BUSY RIGHT NOW came the reply over the readout. JESUS CHRIST, HOW'S A MECH SUPPOSED TO DO ANYTHIN' WHEN HE'S GOT A BUGGIN' KAIJU LOCKED ON HIS ARSE?

 _We have to help him!_ Gipsy insisted. _Razorback's got him, and he won't last much longer!_

"Focus, girl!" Raleigh urged. "Gipsy, I know you're worried about Striker, but you've got to focus on what we came here to do! We've got to take out Armada!"

Mako's brow furrowed behind her face screen as the massive kaiju huddled lower over the dome, like a hen settling down on a clutch of eggs. "It's guarding that dome. Whatever is in there, Armada is protecting it."

Raleigh's eyes flashed in realization. "You think it could be…"

 _The second Breach,_ Gipsy finished. _They've built the dome over the Breach to hide it from us!_

"Then we change plans," Mako decided. "We have to help Coyote get to the-"

A scream of agony reverberated through the drift as Staghead lunged in from Gipsy's right, clamping short but powerful jaws on her arm just above the elbow. Metal squealed as impossibly-sharp teeth sheered through the limb, and it fell to the sea floor in sickening slow motion. Raleigh and Mako's screams filled the Conn Pod as they shared in Gipsy's pain.

"Bastard," Raleigh growled through gritted teeth. "You're gonna pay for that!"

Staghead simply tossed its head in reply, and lightning flickered between the prongs of its antlers as it readied another EMP attack. Gipsy trembled, and Raleigh knew that even her analog systems wouldn't escape a direct EMP jolt unscathed – she wouldn't need hours to reboot, but she would still be knocked offline for a few minutes. And a few minutes would be all it took for Staghead to rip her apart.

The antlered kaiju brayed in shock as another titanic form bowled into it, and Staghead and Knifehead went tumbling away in a tangle of limbs and fangs. They smashed right into one of the smaller domes, shattering it like china and sending jagged chunks of shell – and shapeless chunks of organic material that Raleigh tried not to look at too closely – erupting in all directions.

 _Whoops, sorry,_ Brawler mumbled, his "voice" managing to reach Raleigh and Mako as he limped toward them. _Hope I didn't cut that too close._

 _Thank you,_ Gipsy told him, still clutching the stump of her wounded arm. _Really… I don't know how much longer we could have lasted…_

"Thank us later!" Caitlyn shouted. "We've got company!"

Raleigh didn't have to ask what kind of company – the milky armor of the Precursor Jaeger gleamed through the silt-laden water as it approached, moving with an alien grace. Even as Brawler and Gipsy watched, it raised both sets of arms, releasing twin blades from each wrist that resembled ivory fangs.

 _This ain't gonna be good,_ Brawler groaned.

* * *

Tendo had never felt so helpless in his life. In the past his position in the LOCCENT had felt strangely empowering – he had never seriously entertained the idea of piloting a Jaeger himself, but acting as a "mission control" of sorts had always made him feel like one of the key players in the Kaiju War. The Jaegers might be the brawn of the war, but the LOCCENT was the brain, and keeping said "brain" running smoothly and optimally during a kaiju attack was just as important in his mind as actually beating the snot out of the monsters.

But that was in the past, when they either matched or outnumbered their kaiju attackers and when a double event was almost unheard of. Now, faced not only with multiple kaiju but with an enemy Jaeger, he had no idea what to do. They were all in over their heads, and he could only hope this mission wouldn't end with the Precursors finishing what the PPDC had set out to do – wiping out the Jaegers once and for all.

With every Jaeger locked in battle visual feeds were next to useless, so Bishop had switched the readout back to the normal tactical display. It still didn't look good – one Jaeger was still down, his Rangers refusing to evacuate his Conn Pod, and of the others only Brawler Yukon hadn't suffered some kind of debilitating damage. Both Cherno Alpha and Gipsy Danger had lost the use of a limb, and while Striker Eureka and Coyote Tango were both still on their feet and fighting, they were rapidly losing vital fluids from various hull breaches. And while the Rangers appeared to be fine so far, their oxygen wouldn't last forever – they had come prepared for a quick strike, not a protracted battle.

There was only one thing to do… and though it was practically a surrender, they had no choice.

"Fall back!" he ordered. "All Jaegers fall back! Regroup just over the rise!"

OH HELL NO Striker retorted. JAEGERS DON'T RETREAT.

"Disengage and fall back NOW!" Tendo ordered. "Bring Crimson with you if you can. Hurry!"

A general grumble issued over the radio from the Rangers, and the readout was soon cluttered with identical protests from the Jaegers.

"That is an order," Tendo insisted. "And this is NOT a retreat. We need to pull back and reassess the situation, not keep fighting blindly until they pick us off."

That seemed to mollify the Jaegers, and one by one they slowly pulled away from the fighting, green figures on the display sliding away from the amber forms of the Precursor base. The scarlet blots of the kaiju made no move to pursue, instead clustering around the hulking scarlet form of Armada. A single violet figure – the alien Jaeger – chased after Gipsy and Brawler for a short distance, but once they rejoined their teammates it pulled back, warily circling the base like a watchdog.

"Switch to visual," Tendo ordered. "Coyote if available."

Bishop complied, and a huddle of Jaegers materialized onscreen. Tendo couldn't keep himself from wincing. Claw and fang marks marred every Jaeger's armor, and cracks riddled more than one Conn Pod. Cherno's left arm hung limp at his side and bore a crescent-shaped bite that exposed wiring and struts to the sea; Gipsy's right arm terminated in an ugly stump just above the elbow, oil and coolant swirling in the water around it from severed tubing. Brawler held Crimson in his arms in a bridal carry, a blackened starburst smearing his chest, his Conn Pod dark and ominously still.

"Team Crimson, can you hear me?" Tendo asked.

"We're here," Jin replied. "Crimson's still with us. Got a couple inches of water in the Conn Pod, but nothing serious."

He flinched again. "ANY amount of water in the Conn Pod is serious. Get into your escape pods NOW."

"We're not leaving him, and that's final," Hu snapped.

Tendo opened his mouth to order Bishop to override the controls and force the three of them into their escape pods… then closed it again when he remembered that the overrides had been disabled by his own command. "How fast is the Pod filling up?"

"Not fast," Cheung replied. "Seems to be a slow leak. We've got enough oxygen for a few hours even if this place does fill up."

"Same with all of us," Herc added. "Nine hours, ten or eleven if we push it. The question is if that's enough time to do what we came here to do."

"We can do it," Chuck insisted. "Just gotta plow through them an' plant the bomb!"

"Easier said than done," Sasha pointed out. "These kaiju are persistent. And both Armada and that blasphemous Jaeger are intent on not letting us get too close."

Gipsy's text flashed on the readout. ARMADA IS GUARDING THE LARGEST OF THE DOMES. WE THINK THE NEW BREACH MIGHT BE UNDERNEATH IT.

Tendo blinked at that. "Are you sure?"

NO, she replied, BUT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE. IF THEY KEEP IT HIDDEN, THEN IT WON'T MATTER IF WE DESTROY THEIR BASE. THE BREACH WILL STILL BE INTACT, AND THEY CAN JUST SEND REINFORCEMENTS AND BUILD ANOTHER.

SO WE HAVE TO GET PAST ARMADA, BREAK THE DOME, AND DROP THE BOMB INSIDE, Cherno added. IT SOUNDS SIMPLE… BUT ARMADA ISN'T EVEN SLOWING DOWN, NOT EVEN WITH EVERYTHING WE'VE THROWN AT IT.

"And that's not even counting the other kaiju," Raleigh added. "We've wounded some of them, but they're still kicking… and Staghead's got the ability to take Jaegers out from a distance. And the Precursor Jaeger…" He didn't finish, as if his nerve failed him on the spot.

"Sounds like it'd be pretty straightforward to me," Hannibal put in, scowling at the screen. "Seven Jaegers versus six kaiju and another Jaeger – seems pretty even odds."

"Except one of those kaiju is bigger than anything we've ever seen before," Tendo reminded him. "Even Slattern wasn't as big as Armada. And the Precursor Jaeger's a wild card – we don't even know what kind of weaponry and abilities it has."

"Wait, seven?" demanded Mako. "There's only six of us – five with Crimson down."

Tendo knew that Newt would be disappointed in him for ruining the element of surprise, but they had far more important things to worry about at the moment. "There have been some sudden developments on that front."

"Oh my god," Caitlyn murmured. "Are you saying…"

"Mustang Omega has been reactivated," Tendo finished. "He has a new set of Rangers, ones willing to work with him and encourage his sentience. And he's on his way to Koko Guyot as we speak."

Caitlyn whooped with delight. "I knew we shouldn't give up on him!"

"That's good news," Sasha added, her voice thick with relief. "We could use any backup we could get."

IS HE STILL MISSING HIS HEAD? Striker demanded.

"You hush," Herc ordered.

WHAT, JUST ASKING.

"How long before Mustang actually gets here?" asked Raleigh. "And more importantly… is our air going to hold out that long?"

"About ten hours. And if Marshal Hansen's calculations are correct, then yes… barely."

The Jaegers exchanged glances at that, and though none of them had recognizable faces to emote with, Tendo could guess what they were thinking at that moment. It was Coyote who spoke up, confirming his suspicions.

ALL JAEGERS EJECT YOUR RANGERS IN THEIR ESCAPE PODS, she ordered.

"No," Aleksis retorted. "We started this together. We finish it together."

THIS ISN'T WORTH YOUR LIVES, Brawler protested. US JAEGERS WERE MADE TO PROTECT HUMANITY… AND THAT INCLUDES YOU. WE WON'T SEE YOU GET HURT.

"We knew the risks when we came with you!" Jin replied. "We accepted them then, and we accept them now! We're all seeing this through together!"

I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE A BROTHER AGAIN, Gipsy retorted. OR A SISTER. RALEIGH, MAKO… LISTEN TO US. PLEASE.

"No, Gipsy… it's not fair to you," Raleigh replied. "I left you behind to die once… I refuse to do it again."

THIS IS DIFFERENT.

"It's no different. We do this together, or not at all, girl."

Gipsy whimpered, but nodded. THEN I'LL DEFEND YOU TO THE DEATH, RALEIGH AND MAKO.

"Are you all sure about this?" asked Tendo. "You DO have the option to back out."

"Not us," Sasha replied, and there was a note of dark humor in her voice. "Russian Jaegers have no escape pods. But even if they did… we will not leave. If Cherno goes down… we go with him. But we have no intention of letting that happen."

The fierce determination burning in her voice sent a chill up Tendo's spine. Despite everything that had happened in the past year, there was still so much he didn't understand about the Rangers… or about the bond they shared with their Jaegers. Perhaps it was something one couldn't know unless they had bonded with a Jaeger themselves. For all his experience with the program, some part of him would forever be an outsider to it.

He shook that thought off and spoke again. "The most pressing question is… do you think you can hold out until Mustang gets there?"

WE CAN, Striker replied without hesitation.

"We can hold out," Herc added. "The biggest worry right now is that the Precursors'll up an' move the base on us while we wait."

"They won't," Hannibal put in. "They're sittin' on top of the Breach as we speak. They leave it now, they as good as cut off their escape route."

"Or the route for reinforcements to come in," Raleigh noted. "So they're not going anywhere… and neither will we."

Tendo nodded. "For now, let's try to cut down the number of Kaiju guarding the Breach. See if you can't lure one away and gang up on it. The fewer you have to contend with while you take down Armada and the Jaeger, the better. And in the meantime, we'll try to come up with a plan for taking down that Category 5. Right now it's our biggest obstacle, Precursor Jaeger notwithstanding."

"And when Mustang comes?" asked Sasha.

Tendo drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Get busy cancelling the apocalypse."

* * *

It had taken years for the Mark I Jaegers to develop sentience – years of nurturing at the hands and hearts of their Rangers, years of frequent drifts and slow but sure forging of bonds. Mustang Omega seemed to be blooming to full sentience in a matter of hours, as if sensing how far behind he was compared to the rest of his kind and rushing to keep up. For the entire flight from Hong Kong to the Hawaiian Islands he kept up a steady stream of feedback with his new Rangers, absorbing everything they could share with him, nearly bursting with sheer joy and excitement at every moment.

Newt, for his part, was grinning so hard his cheeks were starting to ache. Now he understood why the Rangers were so attached to their mecha… and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

"Easy now," Hermann urged, though when Newt shot him a glance he caught a rare smile on the mathematician's face. "You've got a battle ahead of you, Mustang. Don't wear yourself out beforehand."

Mustang pulsed back an assurance that he would be careful. But it was hard – there was so much to experience now! He had Rangers, ones that cared for him, and the possibility to become fully mobile and autonomous like the other Jaegers. After so long being the freak of the Shatterdome, the odd one out for being stagnant and immobile, he would have a chance to be like the rest of his kind! And he was dearly looking forward to being able to move on his own, and see properly rather than through the eyes of his Rangers…

"All in good time, dear-heart," Hermann chuckled. "All in good time. We'll work toward that goal when all this is over."

"Shouldn't it be 'core' and not 'heart?'" Newt pointed out.

"Oh, hush, the sentiment is the same."

Newt nodded and kept his gaze on the rolling seascape projected onto the plastic of Mustang's Conn Pod. It was surreal, really, being so far from the action and only being able to see and react to it on a screen. Small wonder it had been so easy for Lance and Lexi to divorce themselves from their Jaeger's actions and just see it as a fancy video game – because the RC Conn Pod pretty much reduced a kaiju battle to nothing more than a fighting game. He made a note for the mechanics to properly attach this thing to Mustang's shoulders the first chance they got.

A flutter of nervous excitement from Mustang. How far were they from the islands? How much longer?

"About four hours," Hermann replied. "Save your strength, Mustang… you'll need it."

"Four more hours," Newt repeated. "Dammit, I knew I should have gone to the bathroom before I got in this thing."

"This was your bloody idea, Newton, why didn't you think of that before…"

A chuckle trilled through the drift. Somehow their bickering just amused Mustang, as if he wouldn't have the two of them any other way.

Newt had just opened his mouth to ask Mustang how he was hanging in there – knowing full well the pun would drive Hermann nuts – when something stuttered in the drift. His vision flared blue, and something alien clawed its way to the fore. Hundreds of miles away, Mustang squealed and jerked against the cables suspending him over the ocean, nearly falling in and taking the team of Jumphawks with him.

 _Not again!_ Newt cringed, gritting his teeth and shoving against the invader in the drift. He'd thought this was over… that Mikhail's interference had meant he'd never have to deal with the kaiju drift again. Evidently he wasn't going to be that lucky…

_Sea of blue… Jaegers fleeing before Armada and its lackeys… the Precursor Jaeger taking a swipe at Gipsy before she danced out of reach… then drawing back, returning to Armada's side… willing to be patient, knowing the Jaegers would come to it…_

_Gipsy's arm laying on the sea floor… ivory talons sliding from the Precursor Jaeger's wrist guards, slamming down into the severed limb… the arm seeming to spasm, life-like… then slowly crumbling to brick-colored dust…_

"Dr. Geizler! Dr. Gottlieb! Someone answer us!"

Newt came back to himself with a full-body shudder. In the back of his mind he could feel Mustang trembling with worry, and he took a moment to soothe the young Jaeger and assure him he was all right before replying.

"I'm… I'm okay," he replied. "We're okay… we're okay, right Hermann?"

"For a certain definition of 'okay,'" Hermann replied. "What's going on?"

"We spotted extreme fluctuations in the drift," Bishop replied. "Are you sure the two of you are-"

"It's the Precursor Jaeger," Newt burst out. "We saw it – i-in the drift – and it's got some kind of weapon…"

"You're still connected to the Precursors," Tendo realized, a slight waver in his voice.

"That's beside the point!" Hermann retorted. "The point is that their Jaeger is far more dangerous than you realize, and if any of our Jaegers approach it they'll be going to their deaths!"


	34. Final Battle

Scunner's head had just dropped down to its chest, its good eye sliding shut as it dozed off, when a Jaeger hobbled over the rise. The kaiju's eye flew open, and it raised its head with a guttural howl. The other kaiju echoed the cry, and Scunner pushed itself to its feet and loped after the wounded mecha. Its right arm terminated in a ragged stump, and it limped badly as it turned to flee before the Category 4. If Scunner's brain were complex enough to allow it to think beyond basic pre-programmed instincts, it might have smugly told itself _easy pickings._

It crested the rise and moved to leap at Gipsy… only for a bladed arm to catch it in the gut. Scunner's mortal scream was cut off by a second blade to the throat, and Brawler sliced its neck while Striker opened the monster from chest to groin with a brutal slash of his arm.

 _Two down,_ Brawler noted with relief. _That takes care of Scunner and Razorback, eh? Thanks, Gipsy._

 _I can actually fight, you know,_ she protested, her limp vanishing as she moved to stand beside Coyote. _I might be down an arm, but I'm not helpless._

 _I ain't gonna see you hurt worse, Gip,_ Striker retorted.

Cherno grabbed Scunner by one arm and helped Brawler drag its carcass to the side, dropping it beside Razorback's inert form. Down to four kaiju and an enemy Jaeger… that evened the odds somewhat. Though that didn't change the fact that they were all injured, weak, and nearing the end of their reserves. If Mustang didn't get here soon, they would have to flee… if they could get away before Armada or the twisted organic Jaeger attacked. And given what Tendo had told them about the Jaeger's weaponry, he wasn't sure any of them could win against it in a one-on-one battle.

He brushed his hand on his leg, unconsciously trying to rid himself of the kaiju's taint, before returning to Crimson's side. The red Jaeger's Rangers had finally given up the fight a few hours ago, when the Conn Pod had filled almost entirely with seawater and threatened to drown them. Their escape pods were on their way to the surface; with any luck, the same helicopters bringing Mustang would be able to rescue the Weis.

 _Please wake up,_ Cherno thought, shaking his friend by the shoulder. _We need you… you're the smartest of us, the one who knows the most about the kaiju and how to fight them. We could really use you._

 _Let him be,_ Coyote ordered. _He will awaken in due course. For now, we have bigger problems._

 _It's been ten hours,_ Brawler pointed out. _Mustang's not here yet, but we should act now before our Rangers run out of oxygen._

 _Or go with the original plan of ejecting them,_ Coyote replied. _It's for the best._

 _What about the Kaidonovskys?_ Gipsy asked. _They don't have escape pods!_

 _They stay, then,_ Coyote conceded, _but the others should be sent back to the surface at once._

"Can you not talk about us like we ain't here?" Chuck demanded. "Don't we get a say in this?"

Coyote turned to face Striker, engines growling softly. _Not if what you have to say is suicidal._

"Says the Jaeger that was volunteerin' for a kamikaze mission earlier," Chuck pointed out. "We're stayin'. That's final."

 _Chuck…_ Striker said warningly.

"Enough," Aleksis ordered. "We have had this argument. And the Jaegers have lost it already. Let us not waste more time or breath with it."

"I agree," Raleigh replied. "We don't have much time left. I say we go out and take the rest of the kaiju down, and get Coyote and that bomb to the Breach."

 _Got any plans besides "run out there, drop the bomb, an' run out?"_ asked Brawler in a tone of amusement.

"Not really," Raleigh confessed, "but let's face it, that's the only plan we had coming in here. We just didn't expect them to have quite so many guard dogs."

"Then we change plans to accommodate," Herc replied. "We still got three smaller kaiju an' Armada to deal with, not t' mention the blasted Precursor Jaeger. There's five Jaegers still standin'. I say Coyote's first priority is the Breach, an' she needs an escort of at least one other Jaeger. That leaves three of us to handle the guards."

 _I'll take the Precursor Jaeger,_ Striker volunteered.

 _Are you going to hog all the good ones?_ Gipsy demanded. _I'll take it._

_Are you outta your bloody processor, girl? Your bleedin' arm's off!_

_I was in worse shape than this when I took on Slattern!_

_This is different!_

_For Lightcap's sake, stop treating me like I'm going to break! Just because I'm a girl…_

"Both of you hush!" Caitlin ordered. "And stop using my name as a curse word-"

A booming roar cut off anything else the scientist had to say, and Cherno felt his core turn to ice as a sleek horned form crested the rise. Sparks danced and arced between the prongs of Staghead's antlers, and its jaws gaped open in a maniacal-looking grin as it stepped closer. From the other side came Knifehead, bright blue ichor streaming in ribbons from an ugly tear in its side but seeming oblivious to its own damages. And just behind Knifehead loomed the hideous bulk of Mutavore, letting out another thunderous bellow.

 _Oh hell,_ Striker growled. _No more time to plan._

"Cherno, Coyote, grab a dead kaiju an' get to the dome!" Herc shouted. "Brawler, take Staghead! Gipsy, take Knifehead! Striker, take Mutavore! An' for god's sake, steer clear of that Precursor Jaeger!"

 _What about Armada?_ Cherno asked.

"Just go!" Herc roared. "Striker, go nuts!"

 _With pleasure, Pops,_ Striker rumbled, and with a metallic roar he charged Mutavore. Gipsy raised her arm, sword sliding out, but rather than letting the links lock into place she swung it like a whip at Knifehead's face. The kaiju staggered back, screaming, as a fresh wound opened across one eye… then doubled over with a dull _whuff_ as her knee caught it in the chest.

 _Cherno, quit gawping!_ Coyote snapped. _Grab a corpse and let's go!_

 _Yes, Coyote._ Cherno stooped to grab one of Scunner's arms. Coyote bent to take the other, and together the two Mark Is dragged their unlikely cargo over the rise and toward the waiting dome.

* * *

It had been nearly six years since she'd faced down the first Knifehead… six years since it had taken Yancy from her side. After all that time she had never forgotten that nightmare of a face, the horrible shark-like mouth or the saber-shaped snout or the stupid but vicious eyes that gleamed with a terrible hunger for destruction. And even as she had languished in Oblivion Bay, even as she had hung in the Anteverse as the Precursor's specimen, she had vowed revenge. Nothing could heal the ache of losing Yancy, but every kaiju she destroyed helped ease the sting.

Now it was time for the ultimate payback. Knifehead 2.0 would pay for its predecessor's crimes in blood.

"Ready, girl?" Raleigh asked.

 _I've been ready since Anchorage,_ she replied, and with a flick of her wrist the chain sword solidified into a blade.

"Be careful," Mako urged. "No more family dies tonight."

Gipsy nodded, and she braced her legs, foot spikes digging into the ocean floor. Knifehead, likewise, buried its claws into the sand, head lowered and swaying from side to side. Mecha and monster held their stances, blades raised, each waiting for the other to make a move.

Despite the chaos of the earlier battle, Gipsy felt nothing but calm. She had been built for this… and even damaged and hurting, she would fulfill her mission to protect humanity. And somehow, carrying her Rangers within her, she felt as if nothing could destroy her, as if Raleigh and Mako were a living talisman against the scourge of the kaiju.

Knifehead broke the deadlock with an almighty scream, kicking up clouds of sand as it charged. Gipsy held her ground, arm down and blade lowered. Every instinct screamed to meet the charge, but her Rangers held her back, urging her down. And though it nearly killed her to do so, she complied. She trusted them… they had never let her down…

"Wait for it," Raleigh murmured. "Wait for it… NOW!"

Knifehead was nearly on top of her when she threw all her weight into a single powerful swing, burying her sword into the monster's chest. It screeched in agony, thrashing and clawing at her armor in its death throes, but she made no move to pull away. She only thrust the blade in harder, feeling it pierce flesh and bone until her hand vanished into the great rent in its hide, as if she were trying to rip its heart out with her bare hands.

 _For Yancy!_ she snarled.

"For Yancy!" Raleigh crowed.

Mako laughed softly. "For Yancy…"

Pain erupted in her shoulder as, in that fraction of an instant letting her guard down, Knifehead clamped its jaws into her armor. With a brutal twist of its jaws the limb ripped off, and she staggered backwards, agony screaming through the drift, fluids streaking the water from the mangled joint. She was falling… helpless… Knifehead was still alive, and would finish her and her Rangers off for good…

Hands gripped her sides, steadying her.

 _Easy does it, girl,_ Striker urged, easing her to her feet again. _Lemmie give you a hand here. Looks like you need one._

 _Oh, ha, ha,_ she huffed. _Not funny. Mako, Raleigh, you okay?_

"We… we are fine," Mako replied, voice shaky with Gipsy's pain. "Knifehead…"

Gipsy twisted her Conn Pod to get a better look at Knifehead. That lunge had been his last act – now the kaiju lay on the sea floor, twitching in its death throes, most of Gipsy's arm still jutting from its chest. Despite her pain and sudden exhaustion, she felt a surge of triumph at the sight.

_Mutavore… what about Mutavore?_

_Already took care of 'im,_ Striker replied, nodding at the kaiju that lay flailing in the remains of a dome nearby, spewing ichor in a cyan cloud from a deep gash in its throat. _But we got bigger problems now._

 _Bigger…_ Her gaze drifted up at the looming form of Armada. It glowered down at Cherno and Coyote, snapping at them every time they ventured close, lips curled back over fangs the size of houses.

 _We have to help them,_ Gipsy said firmly. _Armada's not going to let them get inside unless we distract it!_

 _How?_ Striker demanded. _I ain't got missiles, your cannons're outta juice… what're we supposed to do, dress up in clown suits an' sing an' dance for it?_

 _There's got to be a way!_ Her gaze flickered around the battlefield, taking in the wrangling forms of Brawler and Staghead not far away, the body of Mutavore that had finally gone still, the inert carcass of Knifehead with her arm still buried in its chest…

A wild idea blinked to life in the drift – whether her own or one of her Rangers, she didn't know and quite frankly didn't care. _Raleigh, my elbow rockets…_

"Still online for your arm," Raleigh replied. "Dunno if they'll still work if they're disconnected, but…"

Mako touched a control, and Gipsy felt something inside her leap with excitement as the rockets activated in a flare of blue-white. _Striker, grab my arm!_

_Gip, there's not time to put you back together…_

_Just grab it! It's our best bet!_

Striker just stared at her a moment. Then he bent down and yanked the arm out of Knifehead's chest. _You better be right 'bout this, girl…_

* * *

Staghead gave an undignified, but still thunderous, squawk of pain as Brawler's fist slammed into its jaw. It staggered backwards, shaking its head, its antlers spitting erratic blue sparks with each thrash. Brawler just made a show of cracking his knuckles and jerked his head back, taunting the kaiju, daring it to try again.

"Careful," Caitlin urged.

 _I'm always careful,_ he replied.

"Don't let it hit you," she advised. "Even an analog Jaeger can be affected by an EMP hit."

 _Why do you think I keep hitting the hoser?_ Brawler shot back. _Keep him busy, keep him too distracted to power up, eh? Don't fret so much over me, I'll be fine._

 _I just don't want to lose you again,_ she thought, but didn't voice it aloud. She had just been reunited with the mecha she'd come to see as a son… and she had already lost Sergio for good. She didn't think she could bear to lose Brawler again.

 _We ain't gonna lose YOU either,_ Brawler told her. He paused long enough to deliver a solid THWACK to Staghead's chest. _Not when you've still got that project you're workin' on._

"We can talk about it later," she told him. "Just focus on the fight, okay?"

 _For sure._ He lashed out again, slashing a long wound into Staghead's side. Caitlin guided his motions subtly – not taking over, just providing subtle backup for each attack, miming his actions as if she could lend him her own strength. Perhaps Brawler didn't really need her in this battle except as a morale boost, but somehow the warrior inside her had never really gone away.

 _BOO-YAH!_ The drift sang with Brawler's victory whoop as Staghead finally sank to its knees, dazed and bleeding from a multitude of deep cuts. It barely did more than toss its head in resistance when he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around its neck, giving a savage twist to break its neck.

"We did it!" Caitlin shouted, and gave a triumphant cry of her own.

 _What's this "we" business, eh?_ Brawler laughed. _Now let's go help the oth-_

A jolt of pain at the base of her spine cut him off. Alarms blared throughout the Conn Pod in response.

_WARNING: HULL BREACH. WARNING: MASSIVE INTERNAL SYSTEM FAILURE. WARNING: MASSIVE STRUCTURAL FAILURE._

"BRAWLER!"

 _C-Caitlin…_ His voice shook with pain… the pain of ivory arm spikes buried in his spinal strut. The Precursor Jaeger wrapped a pearlescent white arm around the Mark I as it jerked the spikes free, then stabbed again. Twice more it struck, then released Brawler and stepped back as if to admire its handiwork.

"No!" Caitlin thrashed in her harness, struggling to break free, to do something to help Brawler. "Brawler… stay awake… stay with me…"

Brawler staggered, then slumped to his knees. A cloud of rust flakes enveloped the Conn Pod, obscuring their vision. He was quite literally crumbling apart, whatever chemical or bacteria strain the Precursors had infused into their Jaeger's weaponry causing him to corrode at a frightening rate. Even now his legs were numb, and the numbness spread up his torso as the corrosion ate away his plating, infected his internal systems…

_Mother… Caitlin…_

"Stay with me, Brawler."

_You gotta go, Mother._

"No! I'm staying with you!"

_The plan, though… remember the plan…_

"Brawler!" Her vision blurred with tears, reducing the world around her to a smear of red rust and yellow warning lights.

_You gotta go. For the plan. And don't forget… don't forget the most important part, eh?_

She wanted nothing more than to stay with Brawler to the very end, to keep him company even as his body disintegrated. But she knew he was right. Her project, her dream of ensuring the Jaegers had a home of their own after the war finally ended… it could not go on without her. Brawler knew that, and he was fully prepared to let her go, even if it meant dying alone.

Or perhaps not truly dying… not if this succeeded…

She tore herself free of the harness and stumbled across the Conn Pod, wiping her eyes furiously. With shaking hands she ripped open the computer console, digging through wires and circuit boards until her hands finally closed around a brick of black plastic the size of a shoebox. She took a deep breath… and yanked it free of its cords.

Brawler's presence in the drift sputtered, and for a terrifying moment she wondered if she'd committed a fatal error. But he was still there, still in the back of her mind… faint but present.

"Dr. Lightcap, get out of there!" Tendo's voice finally reached her over the comm. "Get out of there NOW! You have seconds before the Conn Pod's compromised!"

She didn't trust herself to speak. She only nodded and stepped back to the harness, touching the control that would take her into Brawler's escape pod.

_If there's still a god out there… PLEASE let this work._

* * *

Cherno wanted to scream. No, not just scream – he wanted to curl up and howl until he'd purged what he'd just seen from his memory banks. It was one thing to know on an intellectual level that the Precursor Jaeger was armed with some kind of rust weapon… and quite another to watch a comrade literally crumble to dust before your very optical sensors.

_Brawler!_

"Brawler!" Herc shouted. "Dr. Lightcap!"

"I'm… I'm okay." Dr. Lightcap's voice was thick with unshed tears. "In the escape pod… see you at the surface…" Her voice trailed off.

The escape pod burst from the top of Brawler's Conn Pod, streaking toward the surface… and moments later the cockpit itself came apart, the metal disintegrating into rusted shards and the glass falling away to smash on the rocks below. All that remained of the first Jaeger was a rapidly crumbling skeleton that toppled slowly to the ocean floor, where it shattered in a cloud of red dust.

 _Brawler… oh Brawler… no…_ This just kept happening. How many times would he have to watch his friends fall in battle? How many Jaegers would die at the fangs and claws of the Precursors before they finally left this world alone?

The Precursor Jaeger twitched its arm, like a warrior shaking blood from his sword, before turning to face Striker. The Mark V practically shook with rage, and he stepped to the side to put himself between the organic mecha and Gipsy. The message was clear – there were no more easy targets. If it wanted another victim, it would have to get through Striker first.

Cherno would have stepped forward to aid him… but Coyote's arm clamped around his shoulder.

 _Leave them,_ she ordered.

 _That thing killed Brawler Yukon!_ Cherno protested. _We have to stop it!_

 _You have another mission,_ Coyote said firmly. _Let Striker fight the Jaeger. Don't kill yourself on a fool's errand._

 _So you'll just have Striker kill himself?_ Cherno seethed with anger as he glared at his fellow Mark I. _Coyote, I can't let another friend die! Not today!_

"Little one, she's right," Sasha told him, and though he could feel her own shock and grief at the loss of another Jaeger, there was a warmth to her voice that cut through his anger. "We have a task before us. Right now it is more important to close the Breach."

_But Mama…_

"Trust us," Aleksis murmured. "You've trusted us this far, Cherno. Trust us a little longer."

He gave a despairing whine as he watched Striker and the Precursor Jaeger sizing each other up. He trusted them… trusted them like he trusted no other living creature. And yet could he really turn his back on his own kind, even if it was to seal the Breach and save the world?

A faint presence tickled the back of his mind, one that grew stronger with each passing second. Without thinking he let his gaze dart upward, toward a black speck that he first took to be Dr. Lightcap's escape pod. But no, this was too big, and getting bigger by the second…

The presence flared brightly in the minds of every Jaeger and Ranger present, until it became a single wild cry that rang through the drift with the brilliance of a sun.

_MUSTANG OMEGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_

_What the bloody buggerin' hell…_ began Striker.

The Precursor Jaeger whirled about as a sleek black-and-red form hit the ocean floor behind it, landing in a squat before rising to tower over the wreckage of the battlefield. Mustang Omega… but this wasn't the hollow, unsettlingly empty Jaeger that had haunted the Shatterdome for months. This was a living Jaeger, thrumming with life and practically radiating joy at simply being alive and mobile.

If Cherno had possessed a jaw, it would have been hanging down to his chest. How…

 _Mustang?_ Gipsy ventured, peering out from behind Striker.

It – no, he – bobbed his entire body in a nod. _Mustang!_

 _It's alive,_ Coyote marveled. _And here I thought it was a hopeless cause…_

"Holy hell, how did they manage this?" Herc murmured.

"I don't know, but I am glad to see him right now!" Mako replied. "We need all the help we can get!"

 _Mustang!_ he repeated, raising both hands to wave at the other Jaegers.

"Good god, he's soft in the head," Chuck groaned. "How'd we get a special Jaeger?"

"Hey, watch it, I think he's coming along pretty nicely for being ten hours old."

For the first time in Cherno's memory he heard Sasha sputter in surprise. "Dr. Geizler?"

"Hermann Gottlieb and Newton Geizler," Hermann replied. "Rangers for Mustang Omega. I know, it's a bit of a shock… frankly I'm just as surprised as you are…"

"Talk later!" Herc snapped. "We've got other things to worry 'bout now!"

Mustang lowered his arms as the Precursor Jaeger stalked toward him, its pilots overcoming their shock at the sudden arrival of another Jaeger. The Mark VI stepped back… and twin crescents of polished titanium slid from its forearms.

"We'll handle this," Newt assured them. "You guys do what you gotta do, all right?"

"Be careful!" Raleigh ordered. "It's got some kind of rust-based weapon…"

"We know," Hermann replied. "We have seen it… never mind, it's too complicated to explain. But we will at least keep it distracted for you."

"We got this!" Newt insisted. "Right, Mustang?"

_Mustang!_

"Atta boy, Mustang! Let's kick its ass!"

 _Mustang! Kick ass!_ And with the mental equivalent of a childish giggle Mustang lunged forward, burying a blade into the Precursor Jaeger's midsection. Green-blue fluids spilled out to cloud the water, and the organic mecha staggered backwards, arms flailing.

Coyote squeezed Cherno's shoulder and shook him. _Enough gawking! Let's go!_

 _Yes, Coyote._ He turned back to the dome… and backpedaled as Armada's jaws clashed shut a few meters over his reactor tower. _Argh!_

"This bastard," Aleksis growled. "How to get past it…"

Armada drew its neck back for another snap… then its eyes flickered to the side. Gipsy and Striker were running full-tilt toward the dome, drawing its attention for just a moment…

Just long enough for Cherno to slam a fist into the dome, cracking the hard shell enough for Coyote to pry it open and let them inside.

* * *

 _This has got to be one of the dumber ideas any Ranger or Jaeger's ever had,_ Striker grumbled.

 _Do you have any better ones?_ asked Gipsy.

_Yeah, like make sure Mustang doesn't get rust-shanked!_

Gipsy turned toward the Mark VI, who was practically dancing in circles around the Precursor Jaeger like a lightweight boxer taunting a heavier opponent. Time and again the organic mecha would lash out at Mustang, and time and again he would dodge with an effortless jump or twist. Ichor hazed the waters around the two of them as Mustang stabbed and sliced at his opponent, all the while happily belting out his name and a multitude of curse words culled from his Rangers.

 _He's fine,_ Gipsy assured him. _Let him have some fun, I guess._

Armada's moment of distraction had let Cherno and Coyote vanish into the dome, but the kaiju seemed to sense it had been had. It began to tear and claw at the dome, great chunks of shell coming away in its claws. The last few parasites rose from its back and flapped about in agitation, and for a strange and delirious moment Striker was reminded of those birds that flapped around a character after a blow to the head in human cartoons.

"If we're gonna do this, now's the time!" Raleigh shouted. "Striker, aim carefully!"

"Since when were you his boss?" Chuck demanded.

"Since never, but he's got to be careful!" Raleigh retorted. "We've only got one shot! We have to make it count!"

 _This'll be the first an' last time I take orders from ya, Yank,_ Striker replied, and he raised Gipsy's arm to his Conn Pod, taking careful aim at Armada. Cutting the throat sac had weakened it, but not enough… as far as he could see, there was only one spot where they could guarantee taking the ugly bastard out.

_Ready, Gip?_

_Ready. And Striker?_

_What?_

Gipsy leaned in close and bumped her Conn Pod lightly against his. _For luck._

Striker sputtered, then turned to glare at her. _You tryin' to spoil my aim or what?_

"Stop gabbing, you lovebirds, and fire the damn elbow rockets!" Herc bellowed.

 _All right, all right, Jesus…_ He took a moment to correct his aim. _Gip, NOW!_

The arm lurched in his hands, like an animal trying to escape its master's grip, and he gave it a throw to aid it along. The unlikely projectile streaked away, the blade still jutting from the arm slicing through the water and the flames from the rockets embedded in the elbow leaving a trail of boiling froth in its wake.

Armada was so absorbed in trying to tear its way into the dome to stop Cherno and Coyote that it didn't spot the oncoming missile until it was too late. Its ululating shriek of agony shook the water as Gipsy's chain sword buried itself in its eye.

* * *

A name like "the Breach" didn't properly convey the weirdness of the rift between their world and the Anteverse, Aleksis decided. It wasn't at all like a proper gate or even a natural hole between universes – it was more like a wound in the fabric of space, its ragged edges bleeding the molten stuff of reality itself, eldritch energy flickering in its depths. Even as he watched its edges seemed to be drawing itself together, trying to heal itself, but a burst of energy would boil up and tear it wider.

Coyote snorted. _Unnatural._

"We know what to do this time, at least," Sasha pointed out. "Coyote, the charge."

Coyote nodded, and she reached back to detach the canister containing the nuclear weapon from her back. _Ready, Cherno?_

_Ready. Mama, Papa, don't look… this is going to be messy._

Despite the situation, Aleksis had to choke back a laugh. "We're not squeamish. But thank you for thinking of us."

Coyote set the canister down, then gripped the edges of the gaping wound in Scunner's torso and ripped it wider. Once she was satisfied with the damage, she wedged the canister into the massive ribcage. She spared no delicacy on the dead monster but crammed it in, and with a burst of irrational amusement Alexis imagined he could hear Hannibal back in the LOCCENT railing about how she was destroying valuable organs. Though considering the entire kaiju was going to be obliterated in a matter of minutes…

The dome shuddered around them, and cracks jagged across its ceiling. Coyote snarled and jammed the canister in deeper.

_Tell them to hold it off longer!_

_Too late!_ Cherno backed up a pace as talons ripped through the ceiling. _Coyote, hurry!_

"Stay calm, Cherno!" Aleksis urged. "But be ready to fight… just in case."

He pulsed back assent, but continued to watch the ceiling.

 _Charge is activated,_ she announced at last, and she dragged the carcass toward the blazing rift. _Help me!_

Cherno grabbed one of Scunner's legs, hauling the dead creature to the edge of the rift. Above them, more chunks of shell fell away, and silt clouded the water as Armada tore its way through. Aleksis strained at the harness, trying to lend his own strength to their Jaeger. Just a few more seconds…

With twin snarls of exertion Cherno and Coyote flung Scunner's body into the Breach. For an awful moment it seemed to hover over the rift, floating on a bed of energy as if the Anteverse was about to reject it… then it sank out of sight.

And not a moment too soon, for Armada began to howl above them.

 _Striker!_ Cherno shouted. _Gipsy!_

 _We just shot it!_ Gipsy replied, her voice full of wonder as if she couldn't entirely believe what they had just done. _It's going down!_

 _Get outta there!_ Striker added. _It's gonna collapse the dome!_

 _Everyone get out of here!_ Cherno shouted back. _We've got a minute and a half before that charge goes off!_

They squeezed out of the dome not a moment too soon – Coyote had barely pulled herself clear when it collapsed behind them, crushed under the weight of Armada's body. The massive kaiju flailed, jaws snapping open and shut, limbs jerking in violent spasms.

 _We did it,_ Cherno marveled. _We did it! We destroyed the Breach…_

"Not yet, little one," Sasha replied. "Let's get out of here before it goes off. Find Crimson and-"

Then the world whited out in absolute agony as jaws clamped around Cherno's midsection. Alarms shrieked in the Conn Pod as massive teeth sheared through armor like a knife cutting flesh, crushing internal components, causing system after system to scream in protest before winking out entirely. Armada tightened its grip, expending the last of its energy on squeezing the life out of at least one Jaeger before it expired.

"CHERNO!" Aleksis had no idea if that cry came from him or Sasha – and frankly, it didn't matter. His son… his son was hurt, badly, and there was nothing he could do…

_Hurts… it hurts…_

Aleksis raised his fist, forcing Cherno's arm to mirror his own move. Again and again they pummeled Armada's jaws, each blow infused with energy from the Tesla coils, trying desperately to get the beast to let go. Armada hissed in pain but just clamped its jaws harder, sending fresh warnings spilling over the readouts.

"Hold on!" Sasha ordered, fist raised as she and Aleksis pounded at Armada. "Just hold on! We have to make it let go!"

 _No time…_ Cherno gave a shuddering groan around them. _Mama… Papa… you have to go…_

"We will NOT lose you again!" Aleksis insisted.

 _You won't… I promise._ There was no fear in Cherno's voice now – only a calm acceptance. _I'll always be with you… in the drift._

Aleksis felt his heart plummet. "Cherno, no…"

_Jaegers… protect humanity… at all costs… I won't let you die with me. Mama… Papa… help Caitlin help the others… please…_

And with that cryptic request, Cherno gripped his Conn Pod with his good hand and gave a brutal twist. Metal shrieked and snapped as he wrenched it free of its housing… then released it.

"CHERNO!"

Massive hands closed over the floating pod, and Coyote Tango tucked Cherno's cockpit under one arm and bolted just as the bomb detonated. A massive shockwave bowled her over, sending her smashing into Striker just as he bent over to collect Crimson's body. She curled her body protectively around the Conn Pod, but even that wasn't enough to save the Kaidonovskys from being tossed and battered within their harnesses.

Aleksis fought to hang onto consciousness as long as he could, but eventually pain and grief won over, and blackness overtook him.

* * *

The force of the detonation didn't just knock Coyote over – it made both Mustang and his organic opponent stumble to their knees. Silt flooded the water, obscuring their visions, and waves of heat blistered the Mark VI's paint and scorched the tissues and shell making up the Precursor Jaeger. Something huge went flying overhead, though whether it was a luckless Jaeger or a kaiju body, who could say?

Mustang recovered first, and he let out a soft whine. _Uncle Newt?_

"I know, I know, we can't see a thing either," Newt replied. "Don't give up, okay Mustang? We can do this!"

_Uncle Hermann?_

"Don't be afraid, dear-heart," Hermann urged. "You can do this!"

A silhouette materialized in the dirty fog before them – the Precursor Jaeger. Mustang barely twisted to the side in time to avoid the strike, and an ivory spike came within a meter of gouging his shoulder.

"Finish him!" Newt shouted.

"Dammit, Newt, this isn't a video game!" Hermann snapped.

"And this isn't time to argue!" Newt retorted. "Let's own this bad boy, Mustang! NOW!"

The organic Jaeger drew back for another strike… but Mustang struck first. One curved blade rammed into the monstrosity's abdomen, punching through shell and flesh, then shell again as it burst out through its back. Within the transparent Conn Pod two bodies flailed, struggling to fight back, but Mustang thrust upward, the blade carving its way through the armored torso until it pierced the cockpit. Gel spilled out like blood from a mortal wound, enveloping the two Jaegers in a greenish cloud of slime.

The organic Jaeger remained standing for a few moments more… at least until Mustang jerked his blade free. It toppled forward, limp and still bleeding ichor and slime from a dozen cuts. The Mark VI prodded the fallen beast with the tip of a blade, watching for signs of movement, then gave it a disdainful kick when it didn't so much as twitch in response.

"Whooooo!" Newt hooted, throwing his arms into the air. "You did it, Mustang!"

_Mustang!_

"Exactly! We'll work on teaching you more words when you get back to the Shatterdome. Uh… I sure hope they worked out a plan for getting the Jaegers to the surface."

"They have something planned," Hermann replied. "Something involving the Chinese submarine fleet…"

Pain stabbed through Newt's head, and the drift exploded into a maelstrom of emotion – fear, anger, despair, a hatred so strong it made his guts churn. Dimly he could hear Hermann groan in pain and Mustang squeal in terror… feel their Jaeger's arms pump in a rhythm as he stabbed at the fallen Precursor mecha, as if by obliterating it he could destroy whatever was hurting his Rangers…

_WE ARE NOT DONE WITH YOUR WORLD. THIS ISN'T THE END. THERE WILL BE OTHER RIFTS, OTHER BASES. OUR WORLD IS DYING… BUT IT IS NOT DEAD YET. AND WE WILL FIGHT UNTIL OUR DYING MOMENTS TO PRESERVE OUR KIND._

_Newt wasn't sure which of the three of them responded – himself, Hermann, Mustang, or perhaps all three. But all their hearts were behind the words anyhow._

" _And so will we."_

Mustang shuddered as the connection with the Precursor sputtered out. Newt shook his head and felt at his face, wondering how many times he was going to go through this. He was getting sick of having to clean up after nosebleeds…

"Whichever Precursor we were linked to must have been in that Jaeger," Hermann muttered. "Perhaps, with their death, this means the end of these episodes."

"Do you really believe that?" asked Newt.

"Not really," Hermann replied. "But one can hope."

Mustang whined again. _Uncle Newt? Uncle Hermann?_

"We're okay, big guy." Newt forced a smile. "Hey… we won the battle. And we're gonna win the war, no matter how long it takes, okay? C'mon… let's go flag down a sub and get home."

Mustang chirped in response, and he turned to make his way over to where the other Jaegers were struggling to get to their feet. None of them protested as the black Jaeger bent down to collect Crimson's body, and without even thinking they moved to give him a place among their numbers.

Together, the last five Jaegers walked away from the base of the seamount, silent save their own thoughts. There would be time to celebrate – and mourn – later; for now, all they wanted was to return home.


	35. End and Rebirth

THE BREACH IS DESTROYED.

Coyote Tango's words sent the LOCCENT in a frenzy of activity. Technicians whooped and cheered, throwing their arms in the air or around each other's shoulders, delirious with relief and excitement. Bishop covered her face with her hands and promptly broke down sobbing, while a younger tech pulled a bottle of cheap champagne out of a console – doubtless stowed away for just such an occasion – and broke it open in a fountain of foam. Even Hannibal smiled, though Tendo thought it looked more like a smug smirk than anything truly happy.

Tendo, for his part, let the stern face of leadership drop for a moment, laughing and exchanging high-fives and hugs with his fellow tech monkeys. It was over… and they'd won. Humanity was safe again, at least for the time being.

His jubilation was tempered by a pang of loss, however. For their victory had not come without cost – Crimson Typhoon was still unresponsive after Staghead's attack, and both Brawler Yukon and Cherno Alpha had fallen to the Precursor Jaeger and Armada. Losing a Jaeger in battle had never been easy before, not just because a wrecked Jaeger also usually meant dead Rangers… but now, knowing the Jaegers were sentient beings, it was an even worse blow.

BRINGING CRIMSON HOME, Coyote continued. ALSO WHAT IS LEFT OF CHERNO. THERE… THERE IS NOT MUCH TO RECOVER OF BRAWLER.

"Do what you can," Tendo replied, voice soft. "Just come home. Thank you – all of you – for what you have done. Your sacrifice means more than you can know."

Gipsy responded in Coyote's place – WE WERE ALWAYS MEANT TO PROTECT HUMANITY. WE'RE JUST DOING OUR JOBS.

 _But who protects the Jaegers?_ Tendo wanted to ask, but he held his tongue.

ON OUR WAY, Striker added. SEE YOU SOON. And the readout went blank.

"Sir." Bishop wiped her face and turned to face the Marshal. "We just got a report from the Jumphawks. They've recovered Lightcap and the Weis and are on their way back."

He nodded acknowledgement. Knowing they hadn't lost any Rangers was at least some comfort, even if it didn't soften the blow of losing two of the Mark Is. Cherno had become a mascot of sorts for the Jaeger program, and Brawler, as the oldest Jaeger, was seen as a grandfather figure by the living mecha. The loss of both of them would be keenly felt by everyone in the Shatterdome, and perhaps around the world.

"So what happens now?"

Tendo turned to face Hannibal. "I assume you mean what happens to the Jaegers now."

Hannibal's smirk widened. "There's so many ways I could be a smartass with that statement, but I won't. You know what I mean, Choi."

Tendo shrugged. "It's not as if our original mission has changed. One Breach is a freak circumstance, but two… two means there could be more. And in the event that another Breach ever opens, we'll be ready for it." He absently accepted the paper cup of champagne a tech passed him. "Until then, our next mission is going to be harder."

"What to do with giant autonomous robots in the meantime, huh?" Hannibal took Tendo's cup and sipped out of it, then made a face and handed it back. "Not many places you can stash 'em. Not without flattening a few cities in the process."

"Dr. Lightcap had a plan… and when she comes back, the Shatterdome will help her implement it. I'm still in the dark about what she had in mind, but I trust her judgment." Tendo arched an eyebrow. "Though I guess I could ask you the same thing. Your main source of income has dried up for the time being. What happens to your empire now?"

Hannibal snorted. "Adapt or die, Choi. My empire takes after the kaiju in one respect – we evolve. So long as governments are banning or restricting things, whether it's drugs or guns or kaiju parts, there's a way to keep the cash flowing. Besides… you guys are really lousy at keeping kaiju off our shores. There'll be another Breach… and my crews'll be ready."

Tendo didn't doubt that for a second. But it was hard to be upset with Hannibal when he and his minions did the messy but invaluable job of cleaning up after the kaiju. One couldn't exactly hate a vulture for just doing what came naturally, even if it was disgusting.

"Hannibal… thank you." Saying the words was about as pleasant as having a tooth pulled, but he owed it to the man anyhow. "You had a hand in today's victory too."

Hannibal shrugged. "Just looking out for my own interests. Can't exactly kill my own kaiju. We need the Shatterdome for that, just like you need us to clean up after your Jaegers. We need each other to survive, it looks like… which means so long as there's a war going on, you're not gonna be rid of me."

"There are worse people we could call allies," Tendo admitted.

"Stop by a little more often," Hannibal told him, slapping his shoulder. "We miss you. You're actually interesting, unlike most of the people here." He stepped back. "I'm outta here for some halfway decent booze. Join me?"

"I'll take a rain check for now." He set the cup aside. "Take care of yourself, Mr. Chau."

"Until next time, Choi." Hannibal chuckled and turned to go, his shoes clinking with every step. "Until next time."

* * *

Before the battle at Koko Guyot, Cherno Alpha had been the largest of the Jaegers, tall and broad-shouldered and heavy enough to knock just about anything save the largest kaiju out of his path with ease. Now all that remained of him was a battered Conn Pod lying forlornly on the floor of his hangar, glass riddled with cracks and metal pitted with deep dents. There had been no time to salvage anything else before the bomb had detonated… and the rest of him had been vaporized in the explosion. His physical body was almost completely destroyed.

And yet… Sasha knew he wasn't entirely gone. Not yet. Just as she had felt some fragment of his presence after the ill-fated battle at Victoria Harbor, now she could feel that there was a part of him still valiantly clinging to life with all his strength.

She and Aleksis sat with the ruined Pod day and night, whispering quiet encouragement to their Jaeger, urging him to not give up. From time to time someone would stop by to bring a meal, or to pay their respects to Cherno – and at this rate, if flowers and mementos kept pouring in, Cherno's hangar was going to look like Striker's shrine back on the island – but for the most part they were left alone. Most seemed to believe they were simply sitting at vigil for their fallen Jaeger… but a precious few, mostly Rangers, knew otherwise.

Aleksis finally spoke. "They have to rebuild him."

Sasha sighed softly and leaned back in his arms. "I only hope they will…"

"It is not a matter of hope," he said firmly, eyes flashing. "They have to rebuild him. He is alive still, and it is not fair to leave him immobile and helpless. Striker was like this, and they rebuilt him. Why not Cherno?"

"Striker had spare parts in reserve," Sasha reminded him. "Cherno has none. And while the world has been generous to the Shatterdome, I am not sure they have been generous enough to fund the building of a new Jaeger body."

His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fist. "You will give up on our son?"

"No," she replied sternly. "I want him rebuilt, even if it means forging every scrap of his body myself. I… I only hope others see it the same way. That they won't decide it is more merciful to…" She couldn't finish the sentence, even though its meaning hung heavily between them.

A soft flutter in the back of her mind finally broke the silence, and she welcomed it. Cherno was weak, cut off from his power source and bereft of a body, but he remained with them in the drift just as he'd promised. He hadn't abandoned them… and she swore she wouldn't abandon him either. Whatever it took, they would bring back their son.

Movement caught her eye, and a black-and-white Shatterdome cat padded out from behind the Conn Pod. It peered curiously up at the remains of the Mark I, then rubbed up against the bronze metal, purring loudly enough that Sasha could hear it from where she sat. At least they weren't the only ones trying to comfort their Jaeger…

"Mr. and Mrs. Kaidonovsky?"

She glanced up. "Dr. Lightcap."

Caitlin hovered just outside the hangar, and she gave a wan smile before entering. Despite her pain and worry for Cherno consuming so much of her, Sasha couldn't help but feel a burst of sadness for the scientist. Brawler had been utterly destroyed, and Caitlin didn't even have a fellow Ranger to support her in her loss.

"How is he?" she asked, gazing at the battered Conn Pod.

"Very weak," Sasha replied softly. "But still with us."

Caitlin nodded, and she jerked her head toward a nearby crate in a silent request. Sasha nodded her consent, and she sat down. It was then that she noted the bundle the scientist cradled in her arms, an object swathed in blankets and held as gently as if it were an infant.

"I am sorry about Brawler," Sasha murmured. "He did not deserve his fate."

Caitlin shook her head, blinking back tears. "He would have wanted to go that way. As a warrior. Not rusting away in a museum." She shifted her burden to one arm in order to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry about Cherno. He didn't deserve this fate again."

Another woman might have gone to hug Caitlin in response, possibly bursting into messy tears in the process. But Sasha was not most women, and she simply nodded her thanks before looking away. There had been tears before, and would be tears later, but not now. Not in front of a fellow Ranger.

"There may be a way to save him."

Aleksis had been ignoring her, his gaze locked on what remained of Cherno, but his gaze jerked toward Dr. Lightcap. "How? What will it take? What can we do to help?"

Caitlin's gaze moved to the bundle in her lap, and she gently unwrapped the blankets to reveal a block of matte-black plastic the size of a shoebox. It looked entirely unassuming, like some sort of electronic component… yet she handled it with surprising care, as if it were something infinitely precious.

 _Could it be…?_ Sasha thought. "Is that Brawler?"

She nodded. "What remains of him. I had time to salvage one component before I had to evacuate his Conn Pod, but luckily it was the most important component of all. This is Brawler's computer core."

Her heart jumped in her chest. "He is alive?"

"Barely. He doesn't respond to me, but he's alive. He seems… comatose. As if losing his body put him into some kind of suspended animation. Does that sound like what's happened to Cherno?"

Sasha nodded, her gaze never leaving the core. To think that all of a Jaeger's soul and personality could be contained in one block of computer data… it was unsettling. Yet if it meant a Jaeger could be almost totally destroyed in body but still live on in some form…

"I can help Cherno," Caitlin told her. "Actually, this will help all the Jaegers in the long run, but at the moment Cherno and Brawler need it the most. It's part of a long-term plan I had to help the Jaegers find a home after the war, and while I doubt the fighting is over for good… well, this seems like as good a time as any to put the plan into motion. But before I can do that, I need something from you."

"You want Cherno's computer core," Aleksis answered for her.

Caitlin nodded. "I want what's best for him… I swear it. I know he's precious to you – I probably know that better than anyone else here. I only ask that you trust me."

If anyone besides Caitlin had asked that of them, the answer would have been no… perhaps even a violent no. The thought of the seat of Cherno's very soul resting in the hands of another made her blood boil. But this woman had not only built the first Jaeger, but partnered with it in mind and spirit, and understood how the metallic titans worked more intimately than anyone else alive. And she, too, regarded her Jaeger as a son, and knew the pain that came from nearly losing said son. She, more than any other being in the Shatterdome, knew the agony the Kaidonovskies were going through.

And if anyone could help Cherno, and would be gentle with him in the process… it would be Dr. Caitlin Lightcap.

Sasha turned to Aleksis, who nodded once in approval. Then she turned back to Caitlin. "We will let you have his core… but please… be careful."

She nodded in return. "I'll treat him like I would treat Brawler. I'll need your help getting inside his Conn Pod and disconnecting his core, though. The Russian Jaegers were built very differently from the North American ones."

In the end, it took twenty minutes to find Cherno's core and unplug it from his Pod. Unlike Brawler's core, it was a metallic pewter color, and far smaller in comparison – small enough that Aleksis could hold it in one hand. After years of their Jaeger towering over them, it was a strange yet wondrous feeling for their situations to be reversed, for the two of them to be able to hold the source of Cherno's life in their hands. And for a long moment they did just that, cupping the core in their palms and holding him close as they never could before.

Caitlin was in no hurry, and she stood back and gave them all the time they needed. It was nearly an hour later when they finally relented, and Sasha bundled the core in a soft scrap of cloth before turning it over to Dr. Lightcap.

"Cherno told us some time ago that your plan was a secret," she said. "Is that still so? We trust you, but this is our son…"

"I'm very sorry, but the Jaegers were adamant about that," Caitlin replied. "They wanted it to be a surprise. And while I know you're worried about him… I don't want to break their trust."

That rankled deeply, that their own Jaeger would keep secrets from them. But in the end, Sasha decided not to press it. She simply wished Dr. Lightcap the best of luck, and watched as she walked out of the bay, holding two precious bundles to her chest.

"He is in good hands," she murmured, more to convince herself than Aleksis.

A strong but gentle hand closed around her shoulder. "Cherno trusted her. We will have faith in him."

She nodded, and turned to bury her face in his chest. His arms wrapped around her protectively, and they stood together in the shadow of Cherno's lifeless Conn Pod, taking comfort in one another's presences.

* * *

"How's it feel, Mustang?"

The black Jaeger hummed thoughtfully in response. Had he possessed mobility of his own, he might have shrugged his shoulders, but as it was he simply rumbled and thrummed as he pondered the question. He had come a long way in the three weeks since the Battle of Koko Guyot, but he still had a ways to go before he reached the same level of sentience as the other Jaegers.

But at least he had Rangers that would give him the opportunity, Sasha thought as she watched Hermann and Newt talking to the Mark VI. In their hands, Mustang Omega would flourish, and be given a new lease on life.

"Yes, we know it tickles," Hermann told the Jaeger. "But tell us how the Conn Pod feels."

Another thrum.

"Yeah, I imagine it'd be weird to wake up and suddenly have a new body part," Newt laughed. "But hey, this'll be good for you! You'll have a head just like the other Jaegers! And it even has visual and audial sensors built in already for you. That way you're ready to go once you're moving on your own."

A burbling growl of engines.

"Not yet, dear-heart," Hermann replied. "But any day now…"

Beside her, Raleigh chuckled. "I've never heard Hermann talk that nicely to anyone before. He's softened, hasn't he?"

"He has discovered the bond between Ranger and Jaeger," Mako replied with a soft smile. "They will both make fine Rangers. And they will be very good for Mustang."

Sasha nodded. "But we did not come here to stare at them."

"True." Raleigh raised his voice. "Hey Newt, Dr. Gottlieb, did you guys get the memo? All Rangers need to meet at Brawler's old hangar!"

"But we're not- oh wait." Newt blushed and gave a sheepish smile. "It's still kinda hard to believe we're Rangers, huh? Even if we've only fought once."

"We are scientists, not warriors." Hermann's voice lost some of its warmth and became its usual clipped, efficient tone as he limped toward the three Rangers. "It takes years of training to make a Ranger, not just one desperate joyride in a Conn Pod."

Raleigh just grinned. "Mustang accepted you as Rangers. I'd say that makes you fit the bill. And if it's any consolation… I'd fight alongside you two any day. That's more than I'd say of the Rossis."

"God rest their souls," Hermann replied. "Though Mustang prefers not to talk about them… and I can't say I blame him."

"So what's this meeting about anyhow?" asked Newt, picking up Spike from a nearby table and carrying him over one shoulder as the five of them made their way to the hangar. "Any idea?"

"Not a clue," Raleigh admitted. "Apparently it's something the Jaegers want to talk about. Even Gipsy's being quiet about it – and all smug, too. Not used to that from my own Jaeger."

"Let a lady have her secrets, Raleigh," Mako told him.

Sasha said nothing as they joined the Weis at the abandoned hangar. She suspected that this meeting had something to do with Caitlin's mysterious plan… and she wouldn't lie, she was both excited and terrified to see what Caitlin would unveil. Whatever happened had not hurt Cherno, she could sense that much… but the fact that no one would tell her what was happening to her own son was maddening.

It wasn't just the Rangers who were present for this meeting. Gipsy and Striker stood close by, the Mark V's arms looped loosely around the Mark III in a casually affectionate gesture. Coyote gave the pair of them what could only be described as a stink-eye, as if she found Gipsy's choice in whom to share her affections with wanting. Crimson sat cross-legged right next to the hangar, hands nested in his lap and Conn Pod lowered as if in respect. Of all the Jaegers, he had taken the destruction of Brawler and Cherno the hardest… especially Cherno, his closest friend aside from his Rangers.

Sasha gazed briefly at the Weis. At Hu's nod of consent, she went to Crimson's side and rested a hand on his leg, rubbing the warm metal comfortingly. Crimson's gaze moved to her, and he gave a soft whimper of his engines.

" _I should have been able to help him,"_ he said in as quiet a tone as his voice synthesizer could manage. " _Cherno always helped me without a second thought, especially when I first awakened… I should have been there to help him. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"_

"Sshh," Sasha urged in a soothing tone. "Do not talk like that, Crimson. It is not your fault."

Crimson shuddered. " _I thought I could take Staghead… I was wrong. I should have expected a brand-new kaiju to have dangerous new abilities, but I went ahead anyway. If I had been more careful, I could have saved Cherno… I'm so sorry."_

"No, Crimson. Do not blame yourself for this." She rested her forehead against his leg, fighting back tears. "Cherno… Cherno would not want that. He would not blame you for what happened."

Crimson didn't respond, but his shuddering eased. Sasha remained against him a moment longer to regain her composure, then turned back to face the others. Aleksis had just arrived in the company of the Hansens, and he wordlessly drew her into a tight embrace before returning his attention to the crowd.

"What's all this about?" demanded Chuck. "An' why're you so damn smug about it, Striker?"

Striker just rumbled and rested his Conn Pod against Gipsy's.

"Oy…" Chuck pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm never gonna get used to you bein' sweet on Gipsy."

"You better try," Herc told him. "But I get the feelin' we ain't here for Striker to propose to Gipsy or anything."

"How do you have a wedding for giant robots anyhow?" asked Newt, grinning at the thought. "That'd be one hell of an expensive wedding dress… and what would you use for the bouquet? Are there even any flowering trees that big?"

"I swear, Newton, you get more ridiculous by the day," Hermann groaned.

Three more people walked into the hangar before Newt could retort – Tendo, Dr. Lightcap, and a dark-skinned woman in baggy khakis and a vest embroidered with images of famous Jaegers. Sasha raised an eyebrow, and Tendo wasted no time in getting to the point.

"You all know Dr. Caitlin Lightcap," he said, gesturing toward the scientist. "And for those who don't know, this is Rain Morris, a representative from the Kaiju-War Memorial Museum in Sydney, Australia."

"Charmed," Rain told them, smiling brightly. "And it's nice to finally meet you, Hercules and Chuck. You two are particularly famous at our museum."

Chuck puffed up his chest at the attention.

"Though I must say a few were put off by you charging for autographs the last time you visited," Rain added with a smirk.

"Hey!" Chuck snapped.

"Oh, shut it, pup," Herc ordered. "Let 'em finish before you get indignant."

"The Syndey museum has generously donated funds to the Shatterdome in exchange for exclusive artifacts, photos, and video footage for their exhibits," Tendo went on. "We can't thank them enough for that. But now they're not just making a cash donation – they've collaborated with Dr. Lightcap on a project that could give the Jaegers a future beyond the war."

Sasha drew in a sharp breath. This was it… Lightcap's mysterious project. It had been two-and-a-half weeks since they had entrusted Cherno's core to her, and though she had regularly assured them that he was well, they hadn't heard any details. And while she respected the Jaegers' wish to keep it a secret, it was still enough to drive her mad. This was their son, even if she hadn't borne him… they deserved to know…

She shook her head and returned her focus to Caitlin. No matter. They'd learn soon enough about this project.

"Don't leave us in suspense," Raleigh told them. "Gipsy's been gushing about this for days."

"I don't think endlessly repeating 'I know something you don't' for days on end counts as gushing," Mako pointed out.

"It's a little tricky to explain," Caitlin told them. "So perhaps it's best if I showed you." And she turned to speak to someone just outside the hangar. "Come on in!"

Metallic footsteps announced the presence of another… footsteps that, while heavy, were not nearly loud and earth-shaking enough to belong to a Jaeger. Before anyone could ask what was going on, Lightcap stepped to one side and Tendo to another, allowing the newcomer to walk in unimpeded.

Jaws dropped. Gasps echoed through the hangar. Sasha felt her heart leap in her chest.

Brawler Yukon stood before them, perfectly intact… and in perfect miniature. The Mark I now stood no taller than the average human – in fact, he was actually a little short by human standards, no taller than Dr. Lightcap herself. His armor gleamed with polish and a fresh coat of paint, and his internal workings still hummed and rumbled, albeit much softer now.

"Holy shit," breathed Chuck.

"How?" Newt demanded. "How's he still alive? I thought he… he rusted apart! I saw what was left of him!"

"His core," Aleksis rumbled, and his grip on Sasha tightened with excitement. "You transplanted his core to a smaller body."

Caitlin nodded, grinning brightly. "I was able to save his computer core before evacuating. And yes… this was our plan all along. The Jaegers all decided that their size was the main obstacle to them finding new lives among humankind, and so we sought to remedy that. This was the best solution we could see – building them new, smaller bodies, and transferring their cores to them."

"Amazing!" Hermann hobbled forward, eyes bright with curiosity, and Brawler obliged him by turning a slow circle to allow him a good look from all angles. "Accurate down to the smallest detail! And still completely autonomous… how does it feel, Brawler?"

" _Kinda weird, to be honest,"_ Brawler replied. _"It's bizarre actually having to look up at things. Especially people. My processor's having fits, telling me humans shouldn't be taller than I am."_

Raleigh finally managed to close his mouth, and he shook his head in wonder. "Are all the Jaegers going to undergo this?"

Rain nodded. "We've been in the process of building their bodies for a few months now. After the battle, though, we sped up work on Brawler and Cherno's. We'll finish up the others within another month or so, and then we'll begin transferring cores to bodies."

"Unfortunately, we haven't even started on Mustang's new body," Caitlin said, offering Newt and Hermann a look of apology. "We weren't sure when he'd be gaining sentience."

"I'm sure he can be patient," Hermann assured her, still intently examining Brawler from head to toe.

"Don't this make 'em useless against the kaiju?" asked Chuck. "I mean… this is awesome an' all, but they ain't gonna be much good in another event."

"That's been taken into consideration," Caitlin replied. "We're not discarding their old bodies by any means. Instead we're going to outfit them so that the Jaegers can transfer from their smaller bodies to their larger ones as needed. That way they're still able to fight… but can also lead ordinary, 'civilian' lives when they're not in battle."

"Brilliant," Tendo noted. "Thank you, Dr. Lightcap and Ms. Morris. This means a great deal to us – the Shatterdome, the Rangers, the Jaegers, everyone."

Gipsy crooned happily. _"I'll finally be able to hug you and Mako, Raleigh! We can be a real family!"_

Raleigh laughed. "Aw, Gip… we always were a real family. But this'll be amazing."

Sasha tore her eyes away from Brawler to face Caitlin. "What about Cherno?" This was all well and good for everyone else, and some part of her was happy for Brawler and Dr. Lightcap, but her patience was reaching its breaking point. Brawler was here… what about Cherno?

Caitlin's smile softened, her expression shifting to a peculiar amusement. "He just hopes you'll be happy with the body he's chosen."

"What do you mean?"

She motioned to someone just out of Sasha's line of sight. There was a soft trill of sound… and Cherno Alpha crept into view.

Sasha gasped. Her heart had been thudding like a jackhammer in her chest, but now it seemed to melt entirely. Cherno was whole again, his body shining like new and completely unmarked by the many kaiju he had faced over the years… but unlike Brawler, who could still look most humans in the eye, Cherno had shrunk even further. The top of his reactor tower came to her waist, but eliminating that, he was the size of a small child.

"Cherno?" Aleksis' voice hit an octave she'd never heard it reach before. "Is… is that you?"

Cherno seemed to shrink into himself, fidgeting his tiny fingers together. _"It's… it's me… do you like it, Mama and Papa? Is this okay?"_

Sasha prided herself in keeping a firm grip on her emotions, not succumbing to sentimentalism or hysteria… but she could no longer control herself. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

" _Mama!"_ He ran and wrapped his arms around her legs, clinging to her like a burr. _"Mama, if you don't like it, I can have them make me a different body! I just wanted to be little… to be a child for you. I thought you would like that…"_

Aleksis stooped down and scooped Cherno up in his arms, earning a squeal of surprise from the little Jaeger. He gave a thunderous laugh as he hugged him close, despite the tears streaking his face. Sasha, too, burst out laughing through her sobs and joined in the embrace, sandwiching Cherno between them and earning a confused chirp from him.

"We love it, little one!" Aleksis assured him. "We love it. Do not change it! Oh Cherno… we were so worried…"

He hugged Aleksis tightly around the neck, then wriggled around and embraced Sasha in the same way. _I promised you I'd never leave you,_ he told them through the drift. _You're my Mama and Papa… we're a family. Nothing changes that._

Sasha squeezed him tightly, kissing his reactor tower, marveling at his new form. All the times she had dreamed of being able to embrace her Jaeger, of truly treating him like the son they had never been able to have biologically, she had dismissed as idle fantasy. To have Cherno like this was a miracle, an answer to a prayer she had never dared give voice to.

"Little one," Sasha murmured, and took him into her arms. He was heavier than a human child his size would be, but not unbearably heavy.

"I would say both Jaegers' transfers to their new bodies has been a success," Tendo chuckled. "Sasha and Aleksis Kaidonovsky, Cherno Alpha, you're excused for the rest of the day. I'd say the three of you need some family time."

"Thank you," Sasha told him. "And Dr. Lightcap… thank you. We are forever in your debt."

Caitlin nodded and reached over to rest a hand on Brawler's shoulder. "You don't owe me a thing. Call it a little kindness from one parent to another."

As Sasha turned to carry Cherno to their quarters, she heard a lilting croon from Crimson. Cherno raised a hand to wave at him over Sasha's shoulder, and she turned her head to see Crimson waving back. His face didn't allow for much expression, but as far as Sasha could see he looked far happier than before.

 _He wants to visit with me once he gets his smaller body,_ Cherno told her. _He didn't ask for a small one – he wants to be the right size to play basketball with his brothers – but he still wants to be friends._

"I see no reason why you can't still be friends," Sasha assured him, patting his back. "But for now…"

 _I know,_ Cherno replied. _For now, family time._

"Yes," Aleksis added with a chuckle. "We have many years' worth of spoiling to catch up on…"


	36. Epilogue

_One year later…_

It was a scene straight out of a travel brochure – a white-gold beach gleaming beneath a brilliant sun, turquoise waves foaming over the sand, gulls and crabs dotting the sands while a breaching whale burst from the sea. Before the Kaiju War this would have been a slice of paradise… and a highly coveted piece of real estate. During the war it would be seen as a death trap, deceptively beautiful but vulnerable in the event of a creature of the Breach making landfall.

To a select group of warriors, both human and mechanical, it was a welcome respite, a rare moment of sanctuary from a chaotic world.

" _Papa, Papa, we found another!"_

Aleksis had been laying back in a reclining beach chair, the warm sun and the rhythmic hissing and sighing of the surf lulling him into a doze, but he raised his head to look at Cherno. The little Jaeger stood beside him, sandy up to the elbows and knees, beaming with pride as he cupped a bright red starfish in his hands.

"Ah… that's wonderful, Cherno!" Aleksis had no need to feign excitement at Cherno's find – while he was no stranger to the ocean, the tropical waters of this island were full of surprises for their entire family. He and Sasha were often as thrilled as their Jaeger to come across some exotic shell or fish or bird, and after only a few days on the island they had amassed a collection of shells and other trinkets to take home – with the islanders' blessing, of course.

"Are you going to keep this one?" he asked, taking the starfish and carefully turning it over to examine the underside.

" _No. Newt says it's a perfect specimen – not missing any legs. He says it might be best to throw it back and make sure it keeps the population strong."_ He shrugged. _"I don't know what that means… but if it's alive, I don't want to kill it just to take a present home."_

"Newt is a smart one," Aleksis acknowledged. "Especially when it comes to animals and genetics." He handed the starfish back. "Be gentle with it if you're going to throw it back."

" _I will."_ He cupped the animal carefully in his hands. _"After I put it back, Mama and Uncle Ilya and I are going to build a sand castle. Want to help us?"_

"I'd be delighted to." He pushed himself up from his chair, wincing at the pain in his bad leg. Cherno hovered at his side, practically vibrating with worry, but Aleksis gave him a reassuring pat on the reactor tower before walking over to join Sasha and Ilya.

This island was not home by any means – while the inhabitants, who revered Jaegers as gods and hailed their Rangers as something akin to prophets, would have gladly razed every hut and tree to make way for a Shatterdome, Tendo and the newly re-organized PPDC wouldn't stand for that. And while the Rangers had all grown close during their time in Hong Kong, all had agreed that it didn't make tactical sense for them to remain clustered in one place when the kaiju threat remained global. Projects were underway to reopen – and in extreme cases, such as Vladivostok, rebuild – the PPDC's installations around the world, and with the exception of Crimson Typhoon, who called Hong Kong home, all Jaegers would be returning to their home bases within a few years.

In the meantime, however, even a Jaeger needed some respite. And so Marshal Tendo Choi had declared that all Jaeger teams take a break from the rebuilding efforts to take a vacation. And despite Striker and Chuck's complaints, the island that had played host to the Mark V for months seemed to be the perfect destination.

As Cherno dashed ahead to toss the starfish back, Aleksis let his gaze travel up and down the beach, taking in the sight of a group of heroes enjoying a well-deserved break from the war and its aftermath. These were the beings who had sacrificed so much, shed blood and oil and tears, in order to defend humanity. Who could deny them a moment of pleasure such as this?

Four of the Jaegers waded in the surf up to their knees, alternating between human-like chatter and laughter and the signature crooning and thrumming of their kind. Gipsy, Striker, Brawler, and Mustang had gotten ahold of a ball somewhere along the line, and had convinced a group of native youths to join them in a game. Now human and Jaeger chased each other around through sand and water, laughing and shrieking as they tossed the ball back and forth, keeping score in accordance with some complicated rules Aleksis couldn't immediately follow.

As he watched, a gangly young man tackled Striker around the waist, trying to wrestle him down to the sand. Even in his smaller size Striker could have easily fended the boy off, but he feigned a stumble and fell, the ball rolling out of his hands. Gipsy scooped it up with a bubbling trill, and she lobbed it to Mustang, who in turn held it over his head out of Brawler's reach. The children laughed uproariously to see the Mark I cursing and flailing to snatch the ball, the Mark VI giggling like a naughty schoolboy the whole time.

Mako, Raleigh, the Weis, and Newt watched the game from the shore, and laughed and cheered the participants on. Privately Aleksis thought Newt looked just a little ridiculous in swim trunks – years of spending almost every spare moment in a laboratory meant that what exposed skin wasn't covered in tattoos was pale enough to be nearly blinding in the sun. But then, he at least looked slightly less ridiculous than Hermann, who wore a straw hat and the sort of striped full-body suit normally not seen outside of an old-timey movie or black-and-white photograph.

"Damn it all to hell, Newton, keep a leash on the parasite, will you?" Hermann shouted, looking up from where he was forcibly hauling Spike out of a cooler.

"Come on, Hermann, you're missing the game!" Newt shouted back. "Gipsy and Mustang's team is ahead!"

"If you know whatever is bloody going on out there, let alone can keep score, you're ahead of me," Hermann grumbled, but he finally left Spike to his own devices and limped over to sit beside the biologist.

Aleksis chuckled. Those two were spitfires, and each had their own brand of eccentricities, but they were fine Rangers. Never mind their lack of training or physical shortcomings – they had drifted with Mustang, accepted him and been accepted by him in turn. And in the minds of the other Rangers, Marshal Choi, and the new PPDC, that was more than enough.

The old PPDC might have argued, of course, or simply rejected the thought of recruiting new Rangers at all when they were trying their hardest to phase the Jaegers out entirely. But public outcry and the difficult but resounding victory at Koko Guyot had resulted in enormous pressure from multiple governments for the heads of the organization to resign. An entirely new leadership, all supportive of the Jaeger program, had been instated, and the few holdouts who had refused to resign peacefully had been shuffled off into positions where they could do little harm.

Rain Morris, the new head of the PPDC, had immediately called for the reopening of Shatterdomes around the world, as well as a widescale dismantling of the Wall of Life. The news had been met with resounding acclaim, and for months civilians armed with crowbars, hammers, axes, and even shovels had turned up in droves to help professional crews tear the wall down. And in an ironic twist, material from the wall was being crushed and melted down to use in restoring both Shatterdomes and Jaegers to full functionality.

The Age of the Jaegers had not ended… it had only just begun.

Farther down the beach, the Hansens were enjoying their own private break, playing a game of fetch with Max and Bruno. Coyote reclined in the sand not far away, idly turning a piece of driftwood over and over in her hands as she watched the Rangers and dogs at play. She seemed oblivious to Crimson's approach… at least, oblivious until the red Jaeger sat down a few feet away, rather pointedly not looking at her even as he set a handful of tropical blossoms down beside her.

The Mark I gave the bouquet a long, hard look, then looked back at Crimson, who was doing his best to look innocent and casual. Then she reached out and jerked him closer, making him flail briefly before he settled in beside her.

Alekis smiled. So Gipsy and Striker were no longer the only pair among the Jaegers. Crimson had always looked at Coyote with nothing short of admiration, but he had always assumed it was just awe at her status as one of the first Jaegers. He had no idea he had fallen for her… or that she reciprocated the feelings, or at the very least was willing to let him court her. But then, life had been full of surprises in the past few years, so what was one more?

By the time he joined his family, they had already heaped together enough sand to form a mound that came up to his knees. Cherno patted the hill into the rough shape of a cube, while Sasha carefully molded the corners to form turrets. Ilya sat with one leg tucked under him and his bad leg out at an awkward-looking angle, seeming content with the role of a supervisor and occasionally barking out that a turret was crooked or one side needed smoothing. Cherno didn't seem to mind the orders, though Sasha occasionally rolled her eyes.

Aleksis sat down and, without prompting, began to dig a moat around the castle. Cherno hummed in approval and scooped away the excess sand for him.

"Too shallow," Ilya informed him. "What good is a moat if the enemy can just wade across it? Dig it deeper!"

"It's just a sand castle, Uncle," Aleksis informed him.

"Bah, excuses!" Ilya retorted. "Anything worth doing at all is worth doing right!"

Sasha laughed and patted another turret together. "I think this warm weather is agreeing with you, Ilya. You're much livelier now that you've finally come out in the sun with the rest of us."

The old man snorted. "These bones are getting too old to withstand another Russian winter. You should just leave me here when you go back to Vladivostok. The natives'll take care of me, eh?"

" _But Uncle, who will tell me stories if you stay here?"_ asked Cherno, looking up at Ilya with a plaintive whine.

Ilya chuckled and patted his back. "At least someone here will miss me when I'm gone."

Aleksis went back to digging, though he smiled to himself. Perhaps making a permanent home for Ilya here, or at least someplace warm, wasn't a bad idea. They had the means to visit from time to time, after all, and after so many years of living on his own, it would do him well to live out his final years someplace pleasant and accommodating.

As they worked, smoothing out the final shape of the castle and adding stones and small shells to decorate it, Aleksis caught snippets of conversation from close by. Not from Mako, Raleigh, and Newt – this was another trio sitting on a blanket nearby, all rather overdressed for a day at the beach and two of them swiping notes onto personal tablets.

Tendo wore his usual pants, suspenders, and bow tie, and was sweating uncomfortably but seemed determined to ignore it. Caitlin Lightcap, a bit lighter dressed in a breezy sundress and a wide-brimmed hat, looked more suited to a leisurely stroll through a garden than anything scientific, but her expression was studious as she made notes and kept a careful eye on the Jaeger-vs-islanders ball game. The last member of the group, a visiting anthropologist, looked like an Indian version of Dr. Geizler, complete with glasses, facial stubble, and sleeve tattoos (though his appeared to be of Hindu deities rather than kaiju). And unlike Tendo and Caitlin, who wore professional and attentive expressions as they watched the game, he grinned like a maniac, gushing excitedly even as he jabbed notes into his tablet so hard it was a wonder he didn't crack the screen.

"This is simply amazing!" he exclaimed. "Fascinating!"

Tendo raised an eyebrow. "It's just a ball game, you two. Though it's nice to see people mingling so freely with the Jaegers."

"Just a game?" the young man repeated. "JUST a game? They're not just playing a game, they're inventing their own rules! This is a game of their own devising, not some human pastime they've picked up for fun. We are witnessing a culture developing right before our very eyes – a culture unique unto itself!" He gave an exultant laugh. "My thesis paper is going to rock!"

Caitlin laughed. "Now that they're not so focused on trying to save the world, they have the opportunity to develop a culture of their own. And perhaps, if humanity's willing to give them the space for it, their own civilization. One sure to be markedly different from our own. Though I suppose that's for the anthropologists to watch and study, not the scientists."

"Don't put yourself down, Caitlin," Tendo replied. "Your help is still going to be invaluable in the next few years. Not just in getting our current crop of Jaegers settled, but in bringing forth new ones."

"Oh… it went through? You got them?"

He nodded, eyes gleaming. "Hydra Corinthian and Mammoth Apostle were both determined to still have working computer cores, and their Rangers are still alive and willing to help us. They're on their way to the Sydney Shatterdome to be rebuilt and rehabilitated." His smile widened. "Even better… Tacit Ronin's core is still working. And though their Rangers are deceased, we think we might be able to find new Rangers for them."

"Three new Jaegers…" Caitlin laughed in delight. "We're going to have our hands full here soon, aren't we?"

"As if they aren't already," Tendo replied. "But it will be worth it."

"I should say!" the young anthropologist gushed. "Hey, do you think I could stay on long-term if I get my grant extended? This is the stuff of the thesis of my dreams…"

Aleksis just shook his head with a chuckle before returning his attention to the castle. Not that he disapproved of this project – on the contrary, it felt gratifying to know that the PPDC had finally recognized the Jaegers as living and sentient, and would do all in their power to restore any that still functioned. And Cherno would be delighted to have more of his kind close by. Perhaps they wouldn't be granted the miracle of Eden and Nova being restored… but one could always hope. They had seen stranger miracles come to pass.

But that was all in the hands of others. He and Sasha had their own Jaeger, their own son, to look after and care for. And they intended to make the most of every moment.

" _Done!"_ Cherno threw his hands in the air. _"All finished!"_

"It's beautiful, little one." Sasha pulled a tablet out of her bag and took a picture. "You did well."

" _Let's build another!"_ he begged. _"Maybe not a castle this time… what about a city? Or a Shatterdome? Then Papa or Uncle Ilya can play kaiju and try to destroy it, and I can protect it!"_

Aleksis chortled. "Cherno, haven't you had enough of fighting kaiju in your life?"

" _But this time it will be for fun! And no one will get hurt if I don't win this fight."_

Aleksis laughed again, but softly, without a trace of mockery. Trust Cherno to be so dedicated to his original function that even his play would revolve around it. But with any luck, he would learn that his entire life didn't have to revolve around the kaiju and the war. He had time to simply be a child, to live his life as his own and not as a soldier.

Besides, it has been a year since the closing of the second Breach, and there had been no reports of a third. He wouldn't assume a third Breach would never come… but perhaps they could gain a few more years' respite.

None of them noticed that Newt had gone curiously quiet, his eyes drifting out of focus as he gazed out to sea…

* * *

Compared to the first two Breaches, this fissure was little more than a crack – a door incompletely closed, or a wall beginning to crumble from neglect or abuse. To the human eye it was a canyon, but to a kaiju, it allowed just enough room to squeeze through the gap. And had the PPDC's underwater sensor network still been functioning in this area, where the first Breach had been closed by Gipsy's detonation almost two years ago, they might have detected a Category 3 kaiju doing just that.

With a screech of mingled frustration and triumph, the titanic beast Striker might have recognized as Mutavore forced its way through, ponderous shoulders rubbing against the raw, molten stuff of time and space. The instant it burst free of the fissure, another beast took its place, clawing its way through even as the crack began to melt closed again. A third form, larger than the first two, wriggled free and half-swam, half-staggered away just before the mini-Breach sealed itself shut.

Mutavore sat back on his haunches, raising his arched muzzle high as if scenting the water. Multiple sets of eyes in his lower jaw blinked and twitched from side to side to take in the sea floor around him. Said eyes didn't burn with animal rage like his two predecessors, however… instead, they gleamed with unexpected intelligence.

A low rumble caught Mutavore's attention, and he turned to regard the second kaiju that had accompanied him into this world. Otachi crawled forward on her wing-knuckles, nostrils flaring as she, too, sniffed the water for anything suspicious. No scent of metal or leaking chemicals or exhaust-heated water to indicate a Jaeger had passed this way… but then, a kaiju could never be too careful.

Otachi lowered her head and nudged Mutavore's side, growling softly. He gave a low purr in response and lowered his head to touch muzzles with her. Then he dipped his head lower, sniffing at her side and belly. Like the first Otachi before her, she came into this world pregnant… but unlike her predecessors, her abdomen swelled with a subtle but obvious bulge, the pregnancy much further along than it had been with the others.

Finally, satisfied that she had come through the Breach unharmed, Mutavore let a tendriled tongue slide out of his jaws and licked the side of her head. She growled and butted him, as if telling him off for being overprotective, but he just snorted and kept licking.

A hiss interrupted his ministrations, and he and Otachi turned to face the titanic beast that had come into the world just behind them. Slattern's clone slunk forward, trailing a writhing mass of tentacles in her wake, eyes narrowed as she regarded the two of them. Mutavore slunk back a few paces, ducking his head and lowering his eyes submissively, but Otachi held her ground, lashing her tail and hissing defiance in return.

Slattern snarled, and Mutavore trembled, expecting to see his mate torn apart right in front of him. But the larger kaiju settled for cuffing first Otachi, then Mutavore over the head before turning to stalk off. She paused, turned to hiss imperiously at them, and then continued walking, obviously expecting them to follow.

Otachi dug her claws into the sea floor, raking out great furrows and hissing her frustration. Mutavore gave her a quick bump with his muzzle to urge her along, and she snarled angrily at him, but in the end she relented. Side by side they trailed after the larger kaiju, leaving their old world behind… and striking out for the new.

**Author's Note**

Yes, I'm a horrible, horrible author for leaving this story on such a terrible sequel hook. Especially after I've left multiple reviews on Amazon ripping on authors for doing the same thing. But in my defense, at least I finished this story before teasing a sequel, rather than leaving it entirely unfinished and expecting readers to wait for the next story to see anything resolved. Imagine the outcry if I'd ended _Domovoi_ right after Gipsy and Cherno's misadventures in Hong Kong… or even worse, right in the middle of one of the fight scenes.

Anyhow, moving on…

Ever since I watched _Pacific Rim_ in the summer of 2013, I knew I was going to be writing a fanfic for it. The question was what… but seeing as I love not only giant robots, but the idea of _sentient_ giant robots (which explains my love of the Transformers franchise), I knew I wanted to give the Jaegers some sort of personality in the process. And while my first idea involved a pair of OC Rangers with psychic powers that bordered on Mary Sue territory, in the end I abandoned that particular idea… except for the name of their Jaeger, Mustang Omega, which would carry on into _Domovoi._

My absolute favorite characters from the movie ended up being Sasha and Aleksis Kaidonovsky – something about a husband/wife team that are so closely linked and so obviously badass captivated me. So when I revamped my plot bunny in order to fit it to an established set of characters, they were the obvious choices as the central characters. The fact that I'm a sucker for Russian mythology didn't hurt either, and even factored into the title of the fic and the names of some of the Kaiju.

I incorporated quite a few references and shout-outs in this fic. Below is a list of most of them, though I may have forgotten about a few between the time of writing and now:

The salvage ship in the Prologue, the _Weak Anthropic Principle,_ is named after the Scavengers' ship in the _Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye_ comics from IDW. Said ship also makes an appearance in Chapter 26.

I have no idea what Sasha's maiden name is, so I assigned her one at random in Chapter 2. If there's any significance behind the name I gave her – Pevtsov – I no longer remember it. Most likely I just Googled "Russian surnames" and picked one that sounded good…

The Russian Kaiju are named after figures from Russian mythology – Baba Yaga (the child-eating witch), Bannick (spirit of the bathhouse), Katschei (Katschei the Deathless), and Gorynych (the Slavic Dragon). Kali and Wendigo are named after a Hindu goddess and a Native American cannibalistic monster respectively.

I did not make up the name of Newt's old band – according to source material it really is Black Velvet Rabbits. Of the bands mentioned in Chapter 7, the only fictional one is Titanus, which is named after one of the mecha in _Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers._ Their song "Red Star Rising" is named after one of Anne McCaffrey's _Dragonriders of Pern_ novels (though the US printing of the novel was retitled _Dragonseye_ ).

The name of the ship that aids the Shatterdome, _Ao Kuong,_ comes from the Dragon King of the East Sea in Chinese mythology, though it's traditionally spelled Ao Guang. I just happened to stumble across the spelling more commonly used in video games, heh…

Lance, Lexi, and Bailey Rossi's surname was taken from David Rossi from the TV crime procedural _Criminal Minds._

Ilya is named after the protagonist of Mercedes Lackey's Russian-flavored fantasy novel _Firebird._

Minor character and Shatterdome technician Hideaki is named after Hideaki Anno, creator of the giant mecha anime _Neon Genesis Evangelion._

The rejected Ranger that Aleksis fistfights in Chapter 10, Ian Tennant, intentionally shares a surname with David Tennant, the actor who portrayed the Tenth Doctor.

Rain Morris was named after the love interest in _Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron_ (I am so not apologizing for naming a human character after a horse…).

The rejected Rangers in Chapter 30 borrow names from characters in two different giant mecha series – Deckerd from _Brave Police J-Decker,_ Lennox from the live-action _Transformers_ films.

All other names were simply picked because "they sounded good" and are not intentional references to anything else.

This fic has been three years in the making, and while it's quite satisfying to see it come to a conclusion, I'm also sorry to say goodbye to these characters. I feel like I've gotten to know them quite well, and have enjoyed crafting my own fan-sequel to the film. Knowing that the upcoming official sequel, _Pacific Rim: Maelstrom,_ will probably completely negate everything I've written here is a bit of a shame, but hey, that's the beauty of writing an Alternate Universe, right?

That said… I am by no means finished playing in this universe, as you might have guessed from the end of the epilogue. A closed door doesn't necessarily stay closed, after all, and just as the Jaegers have been evolving, so have their foes…

Thank you, Basslineraver, for beta-reading this fic, and for providing feedback and suggestions that have greatly improved it. I couldn't have done this without you.

Thank you, Guillermo Del Toro and Travis Beacham, for giving us such an exciting giant-monster romp, and filling it with memorable characters instead of cardboard cutouts. Best of luck in all your endeavors.

And thank you readers, for your continued support and your readership. Stay tuned for the sequel to this fic, _Doppelganger_ (title subject to change).

Until all are one!


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